Where the Wind Rustles the Pines
by A-Kubrick-Spent
Summary: The Pines return to Gravity Falls, to find their favorite town still full of wonder, mystery, and danger. But, for Dipper, the danger is much more unusual than he is used to- caught between two friends that both seem to want to possess his heart for their own. Even, it seems, if that means tearing the heart of their rival out to get what they want.
1. Everything I Could Ever Be

The creaking sound of the bus' axles heralded it pulling in to the decrepit bus stop. It stopped only long enough to disgorge two of its scant passengers before it chugged off to fairer fields, leaving the two with only a few bags between them. Coughing slightly as the diesel engine left a cloud of smoke as a rude parting gift, they slowly regard the surrounding, familiar area, coming to rest on each other once again.

"Mabel?" Breathes the taller of the two, hoisting his bag higher up his shoulders.

With a palpable tension in her voice, some sort of barely restrained excitement, she answers, "Yeah, Bro?"

His smile lights up like the sun. "We're home."

They laugh, delight rippling through them at the familiar strangeness of Gravity Falls, the best kept secret of the Pacific Northwest. They both turn to the sounds of excited people coming from the down the road, coalescing into the forms of their friends, well kept from when they first came to this town, six years ago.

"MABEL! DIPPER! PINES!" Candy and Grenda thundered at them, arms askew and eyes locked upon the Pine Twins, closing the distance only to wrap the two of them in fierce, almost bone breaking hugs, their cries turning to almost apoplectic jabbering in their joy.

Laughing, Dipper extracted himself from Candy Chiu, grinning as she gave him a final, shy kiss on the cheek before she launched herself like a rocket at the still Grenda-engulfed Mabel, all three girls becoming a tangled mass of flailing limbs and shrill, giggling voices as they did their best to catch up on the two years they had been away from one another.

Chuckling, he watched the three best friends fondly. Though they were all on the cusp of actual adulthood at nineteen years old, he still saw the remnants of the twelve year old girls that had met and bonded years ago. Grenda was even taller than him now, standing a few inches above his lanky six feet, all broad shoulders and deep voice, dressed in a simple sundress and curly hair. Candy was dwarfed by her, a petite body and long, shining black hair, leading up to a cute, happy looking face, smile threatening to burst off her cheeks.

Mabel Pines shouted and laughed with her friends, joy written on her face, her pleated braids whipping around as she practically danced on the dirty street.

"Enjoying yourself, Dork?" Startled from his reverie, the Pines boy turned and saw the approaching vision that was Pacifica Northwest, a slight smile tugging at her plump lips. Stopping just a foot from him, she crossed her arms under her chest, looking directly into the boys eyes, a mixture of happiness and mischief dancing in her own.

"Oh, you know," he smirked at her, "just another day in the exciting life of Dipper Pines, Man of Mystery." He put his hand on his hip, the other still grasping his bag. He eyed the former heiress slyly, taking all of his friend in.

Pacifica Northwest looked _good_. More than that, she knew she did. Both toned and busty, thanks to good genetics and a generous workout schedule, she could have easily worked as a model, her long hair having a more natural sheen to it than when they were children. Tight clothes accentuated her curves, and her makeup highlighted the soft curvature of her pretty face. Her smile widened, just a little. "It's been a while, Pines," she said. _I missed you_ , were the words she didn't speak, and he didn't need to hear them to understand the subtext.

"It has, Northwest," he replied, quickly moving to engulf her in a hug, head burying itself in the crook of her neck. She looked surprised for a moment, a light blush dusting her cheeks, before she returned the warm embrace, hands clutching at his back. Not that she would let him see that, of course.

They parted from the hug, smiling slightly, neither caring to mention that the touching of skin left them feeling like electricity was dancing up their arms in a raucous joy. Before she could restart the conversation, a Mabel sized projectile rocked her, feet unbalancing for a moment as she readjusted.

"Paz! Paz! You came, you showed, you love me! Ahahaha, I knew it! You couldn't resist the ol' Pines charm!" Mable took her friend by the arms, manually guiding her into the rapidly reforming group hug of girls that had coalesced around her. Pacifica, for her part, looked genuinely happy to be back in the Twins presence, if not Candy and Grenda as well.

Laughing, Dipper picked up Mabel's discarded pack where she had dropped it in her haste to hug her friends. He followed as the girls started ambling up the familiar paths towards the place he considered his home.

The Mystery Shack.

"Welcome home, Dipper," he breathed to himself, smiling.

BREAK

Pacifica Northwest was rich.

Now, to some, that would be the culmination of their dreams- she was part of a family that was worth millions, was strikingly beautiful, smart, and had more opportunities at her fingertips than many could dream. It should have been enough.

In truth, for her, it was. She was, if not _happy_ with her lot in life, content.

It was not, however, enough for her father.

Preston Northwest was a man possessed of a singular vision; namely, to reassert the prestige of the Northwest name, regain the power that came with literally owning a good portion of Washington, Oregon, and California. After the Weirdmaggedon, the reality splintering almost-apocalypse that consumed her town in eldritch horror from another dimension, the Northwest family fell like the proverbial angel from heaven. She wasn't sure how much they lost- millions, certainly, hundreds of millions, maybe even billions. Their economic empire was turned into warring fiefdoms almost overnight, leaving them with only their immediate holdings in Gravity Falls- a piece of irony that she didn't fail to appreciate, when she was alone.

And Pacifica was often alone.

She found herself, in these past few years, in a strange sort of limbo, no longer the girl who could buy her way out of her problems- most of her families remaining cash going into funding her father's vainglorious dreams of regaining his lost splendor. So she was left relying on her ill-used social graces to try to find companionship among those her family demeaned as "Commoners", nevermind that they barely ranked above them now.

And, surprising even herself, she _liked it._ She enjoyed being able to explore who she was as a person, without the fetters of wealth and society. She loved meeting strange new people, exploring a world she had only ever seen through the bars of her gilded cage.

Or, she guessed, limousine windows, but she wasn't going to keep track of that- she hadn't seen the inside of a limo in six years.

Walking towards the Mystery Shack alongside the Pines and company, she idly followed the rapidfire conversation between Mabel and her friends. She never really bridged the gap between herself and Candy and Grenda, nevermind that she was only ever friendly with them- too much bad blood, she suspected, from the years of bullying she gave them. Not that she blamed them, no, but she supposed that they would all grin and bear it for Mabel's sake.

Making sure to face front, she eyed Dipper sidelong as they walked along, the both of them occasionally adding to the conversation when prompted- him, admiring the familiar scenery, and her admiring the boy who had, against all odds and reason, embedded himself deeply into her heart, despite her best efforts to dislodge him thereof.

She knew, logically, that it would never work. She knew that, most likely, she would marry some rich heir to appease her father's ambitions. Logically, she would never be more than a good friend to the brown haired boy who fought monsters and solved ancient mysteries.

Logic and the heart, it seemed, did not find common cause.

It was her heart, not logic, that caused her to quiver when she thought of the Pines boy. It was her heart that made her daydream of wedding bells and monster hunts alone with him in the woods. And it was her goddamn heart that made her hands shake, right this moment, gazing at this wonderful, stupid, beautiful boy.

She bet he didn't even notice, the oblivious dork. She smiled, shaking her head.

She might, she mused, be in love with him.

Break

Dipper walked almost reverently into the Mystery Shack, breathing in the musty air that reeked of greed and old men. He loved this place, down to the creaking floorboards and the thrown together "Mysteries" that peopled the place. The girls followed him in, still chatting animatedly to each other. He idly drummed his fingers on his vest, where he had, during his summers here, kept the Six Fingered journal within easy reach.

"Dudes! You're back!" Faster than thought, he was swept up in yet another bone crunching hug, this time courtesy of Mister Mystery himself, Soos. "Oh, I've missed you guys! It's been way too long!"

Half laughing, half choking, Dipper patted the large man on the back as best he could, seeing as he couldn't hug him in return with the man engulfing him. "We missed you too, buddy. But we're back, man! Back for the summer, maybe longer, you know?"

There was a gasp from behind him. "Dipper! That was supposed to be a surprise!" Mabel jumped up on Soos' back, giving him a combination hug/noogie, making the big man chuckle. "We were gonna tell you guys later, with everyone here, but since _someone_ ", she playfully glared at Dipper, "spilled the beans, I guess you guys should know. We convinced our folks, and we're gonna spend our days here, until at least Christmas break, before we go to college! Makes up for us not being here last summer, huh?"

She was rapidly engulfed in more vivacious hugs from Grenda and Candy, and their screaming redoubled, echoing throughout the Shack in a cacophonous storm. Mabel, for her part, joined them, adding her shrill pitch that left Dippers ears ringing. Amidst agreements that they needed an immediate sleepover to catch up on old times, they bid Soos, Pacifica and Dipper farewell, leaving through the door and leaving a, thankful, silence.

With a sigh of relief, gingerly rubbing his ear to ease some of the strain brought on by the abuse the Mabel Trio has caused, Dipper turned to Pacifica again. "So, Pacifica," he started. "How-"

He was interrupted once again, this time by the poor, abused front door slamming open.

Smiling, looking like an absolute fucking queen, strode in Wendy Corduroy.

BREAK

Pacifica, she could honestly say, _hated_ the ginger haired wildflower that was Wendy. She was tall, impressively athletic, strikingly beautiful in a way that most girls could only ever dream of, and, most infuriatingly, had Dipper Pines eating out of the palm of her hands effortlessly.

Wendy had a life free from overbearing parents, the looming threat of arranged marriage, and she was genuinely a _nice person_. Honestly, she was the best thing to come out of Gravity Falls, and Pacifica Northwest couldn't stand the damned girl one bit.

She knew it was petty of her, and she knew that Wendy didn't deserve her ire one bit, seeing as the girl had only ever been nice to her. But just as her heart wanted Dipper, it also hated the Corduroy. She resolved to, at least, be civil with the girl until she left again for college, for the Pines sake if nothing else.

"I heard from Mabel, you're staying here for, like, six months, man?" At his amazed nod, she grinned widely, gathering the young man in a tight hug. "That's awesome, dude! I just finished with college, so I'm here for awhile til I figure out what to do. We should totally hang out a bunch, yeah?"

Hearing the girls proclamation, Pacifica's heart sank, a dour look crossing her face before she quashed it. Not that Dipper would notice, seeing as he was still gazing starry eyed at the fucking ginger.

Wasn't he supposed to be over her? God, it was like they were twelve again. Pacifica moodily decided to grin and bear it, nevermind how much the girl hugging Dipper made her want to scream.

"Uh, s-sure. Yeah, t-totally," the boy stuttered at the 21 year old. It was strange- he was a good six inches taller than her now, but she still could make him feel like a preteen with a crush. Wendy gave the tiniest flutter of her eyelids- so small and fast that he thought he might have imagined it- and hugged him tighter.

Pacifica despised this girl. Wendy went on, "Sweet! We can totally catch up and stuff," and her voice grated on Pacifica's ears. "We can, like, hit our old spots and toss back a brew or something, ya know?" Pacifica felt a violent sort of _twitch_ run down her spine, her face forming a frown of its own volition. Wendy looked the young man up and down, a small, salicious little grin tugging at her lips. Pacifica tried very hard not to throw something. "Geez, dude, you got _huge_! Like, all tall and muscular and junk. I should show you around to my friends out here, make them jealous, huh?" And the Corduroy girl laughed like a bell, and Dipper nervously chuckled with her, and something inside Pacifica Northwest _**snapped**_ so hard that she heard the sound of it breaking in her ears, and the reverberations turned into the sound of her elevated, pounding heartbeat as Wendy reached up on her tip toes to deliver the smallest kiss to Dippers cheek as they broke the hug that seemed to have been going on _forever_.

 _Oh, it's on, bitch._

Plastering a demure smile on her face, Pacifica sidled up to Dippers side, capturing an arm and pulling him into the sort of hug where you want to make sure the person your touching feels _everything_. Startled, Dipper looked at the Northwest, a questioning look in his brown eyes. "Dipper," she purred, "we should catch up, too. Walk around town, or go have ourselves an _adventure_ , hmm? Since it's been too long and all," she gave him her best doe-eyed look, years of etiquette and training aiding her.

"Of course, Pacifica! Yeah, no problem!" And he laughed his adorable, awkward laugh, and she happily giggled in response, reaching up to give him her own kiss, on the opposite one than where _Wendy_ kissed him.

 _Victory_. She smiled prettily at him before backing away, giving a sidelong glance at the now frowning redhead.

 _Take that, bitch,_ she thought to herself.

BREAK

Sighing, Dipper Pines eased the two bags onto the floor of his and Mabel's old room at the Mystery Shack, not bothering to unpack as he flopped bonelessly onto the musty bed where he had spent a decent portion of his life growing up. He groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes, almost melting into the mattress.

While he loved this town, it was also the source of more nightmares than he cared to recount. He couldn't put a number on the amount of nights that he awoke, screaming from some unknowable horror, visions of triangles and horrid abominations beating themselves against his eyes. Many times, he would awake to Mabel tearfully shushing him, rocking him back and forth and gently stroking his hair until he calmed down from the shuddering sobs that would rack his body. To be fair, though, he did the exact same things for her, when defeated demons would still dance through her nightmares.

He could only imagine that they would get worse, so near the source of the problem.

Tomorrow, he would explore the strange yet familiar world, filled with monsters and amazing things. But, today, today it was late, and, for whatever reason, he was _bone_ tired.

 _Plus, Pacifica was acting weird,_ he mused. _Well, weird for what I remember of her,_ he admitted, seeing as he and Mabel had to skip visiting last summer.

Last summer, when they found out that Stanford Pines had died somewhere off the coast of Argentina.

Bill Cipher ended up with his revenge, anyway, it seemed. The six fingered man was no more.

He idly wondered where his Grunkle Stan could be, in all the wide world, but knew it was hopeless; the old coot wanted to grieve, and to live his brothers dream, even if he couldn't be there to share in it. Dipper could respect that.

With a wry smile and another sigh, Dipper turned on his side, flicked off the lamp next to his bed, and went to sleep.


	2. Hates Everything You Ever Were

Wandering towards her house, hands tucked in her pockets, Wendy ambled in something a bit less than a straight line, feet finding purchase all over the road. Her mind was still back at the Mystery Shack, with Dipper and-

Pacifica Northwest.

The girl puzzled her, to be honest. Like everyone in Gravity Falls, she had watched the young woman grow up; starting as a spoiled, snotty little brat, and then falling from grace and back down to earth. She certainly was more modest now, seeing as she went from living in a mansion to living in a (decently nice) townhouse. And yet, despite exchanging pleasantries and niceties whenever they met, there was a distance between them, a gulf filled with trace amounts of hate coming solely from the blonde girl.

 _That girl_ , Wendy thought, _is trouble._ She thought back to the girls vindictive little smile, when she had curled around Dipper like a seductress. Like she was _stealing_ him, or something.

Which was utterly ridiculous; the boy was like her little brother! Nevermind how tall and handsome he had become in the last two years...

"No. Bad Wendy!" She lightly tapped herself on the forehead. She had watched the boy grow up, from an awkward preteen with a monster obsession, into... Well, an awkward young man with a monster obsession. At least he was taller now.

But, still. Pacifica.

 _She's up to something with Dipper. But what?_

Well, whatever it was, it couldn't be good. You never knew with the Northwest's; they had plans within plans. She resolved, at the very least, to look out for her adoptive little bro. Keep him safe from whatever nefarious schemes the blonde was up to.

After all, what were (platonic) friends for?

 _ **BREAK**_

Pacifica meandered up the stairs of her home towards her bedroom, not bothering to look at her houses depressingly empty walls. Once again, her parents were gone, off on some desperate venture to wine and dine their former colleagues among the rich and powerful. And, once again, she knew, nothing would come of it.

Seven years they had stayed in this house, ever since Weirdmaggedon, and her father still seemed to treat it as temporary lodging. They hung no portraits or pictures, the kitchen was left mostly bare, and the bedrooms went unadorned.

Except for hers, of course. She decorated her room like any teenage girl, her evolving tastes seeing the rise and fall of posters, stuffed animals, and ornaments. Stepping in and closing the door behind her, she let herself fall onto her bed, a graceful descent that ended in her comforter exploding outwards with a rush of air.

She blindly reached over, hands searching until she found her quarry; a large, stuffed llama toy. She dragged him over, smothering it in a tight hug left it squished against her chest.

"What the Hell was I doing?" She said to herself, frowning intensely at a bare white ceiling. "I can't have him! I don't want him! I don't..."

She trailed off, thinking back to earlier that night, her impromptu sparring match with Wendy over the brown haired boy. Her hands involuntarily clenched around Mason, her Llama toy, imagining the ginger haired _slut_ kissing Dipper Pines, ensnaring his heart in her filthy lumberjack born hands. It had been a couple of hours since then, but her anger still burned in her like the sun.

Why? Why did that stupid girl have to be back? Why _now_ , when all she wanted was to be _friends_ with the stupid, dorky, adorable, beautiful Pines boy? Why did the Scarlet harpy have to swoop in now, like some love-draining vulture, fit to lead Dipper on another fruitless chase for her heart?

"Why couldn't he fall for me so easily?" She muttered into her toy, refusing to acknowledge the pinpricks of tears at the corner of her eyes, roiling down and ruining her mascara.

She choked back a sob, and, abruptly, sat bolt upright, casting Mason to one side as she _screamed_ until her throat felt raw.

"That stupid fucking ginger haired _whore_! Filthy common-stock **devil bitch**!" She stood up from the bed, taking deep, shuddering breaths, hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She was tempted to put a hole in the wall, but she knew it was useless. She was actually crying now, tears coming fat and angry down her pretty cheeks.

Calming slightly, she started pacing back and forth, forcing herself to breathe deep and easy. Almost like meditation, but more based on focusing her budding rage into a dangerous, sharp weapon inside of her mind.

"That bitch is just going to leave Dipper heartbroken again," she reasoned to herself. "I've seen her through the years here, dating through every guy she comes across. They never last more than three months. She'll break his heart and leave him hating this place!"

She came to a stop, pausing to scoop up her Llama once again, holding him close and stroking his fuzzy mane soothingly. "I can't let that happen to him. I'd never see him again." The thought left her feeling cold inside. Wether she liked it or not, Dipper Pines had come to represent the idea of goodness to her; a better future, all the good things from her past, and all the possibilities of the unknown. The idea of him coming harm because of some ginger temptress, well...

It was too much to bear.

"I have to stop her. Even if it means..." She trailed off with a thoughtful look, a small, faraway smile playing across her lips. Images of the boy she grew up with came in snapshots to her-

 _Running with the twins from a veritable horde of gnomes, laughing all the way, as Jeff shouted his fury from behind a beard dyed bright pink._

 _Quiet nights on the roof of the Mystery Shack, arguing about the stars and planets, snacking idly on popcorn and soda._

 _Hard goodbyes, smothered in hugs and small, whispered promises of "Yes, I'm coming back, I'll see you as soon as I can," and refusing to break down in tears until after the bus had left out of sight._

 _A single, beautiful moment, just the two of them, alone, in a gorgeous grotto, surrounded by the sound of songbirds, and their faces, bright red, almost close enough to touch, to kiss, and it was all ruined by a Manotaur crashing through the underbrush to tell him to run from the "Disgusting woman beast!"_

She chuckled lightly, remembering how much she wanted to skin that fucking man beast and wear him as a pelt. Whatever magic could have been that day, it drained away, staying in that grotto in the forest. It had been two years ago, but she remembered his eyes, shining and bright.

Eyes she could get lost in.

She hugged her Llama to her chest even more tightly, humming a happy tune to herself. She knew what to do, now.

"I'll save you, Dipper. She won't have you."

The Northwest girl started to laugh.

And laugh.

And laugh.

 _ **Break**_

Dipper awoke early in the morning- sun peeking just over the horizon early, actually. It was 5:37 AM, according to his watch, and the only statement that managed to form coherently in his sleep addled brain was 'Too Damn Early'.

Unfortunately for him, once he was up, he was up; nevermind that he was going to be essentially a zombie for a good portion of the day. Yawning and stretching, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he wandered into the kitchen, looking to maybe snag some fruit as a snack before his stomach collapsed into a singularity. To his surprise, Soos was already there, bustling about the kitchen in an apron emblazoned with a bored looking kitten on it. Dipper smelled pancakes baking.

"...Soos?" That was about the extent of his vocabulary at the moment.

"Morning, Dude!" The big man turned and gave him a high five, which he barely registered in time to half-heartedly slap the offending appendage. "You're up early, Pine-Tree."

Dipper eased himself into a chair, doing his best not to glare at his cheerful early rising friend. Instead, he shrugged, making a noncommittal sound similar to what a Neanderthal might have made in a similar situation.

"Yeah, dude, I know. But I like to make Melody breakfast in bed, ya know? And, it lets me tidy up the Shack before we open, just in case!" The happy man resumed mashing his batter, and Dipper noticed a rather large spider slowly dessicating a slightly smaller cockroach over in the corner of the kitchen.

"That's... Great, Soos," he managed to croak out.

"Yeah, I know! I'm all, like, responsible and stuff, bro." Adding to his heavy proclamation, he slid a plate of blueberry pancakes under Dippers nose, the plate clanking against the solid oaken table he was sitting at. "Bon appe-breakfast, dude."

"Thanks," he mumbled gratefully, dousing them in enough syrup to give Mabel pause before digging in. Swallowing, he felt a bit guilty about yesterday. After Wendy and Pacifica's little... He didn't even _know_ what that was, he had just gone to bed, instead of catching up with his older friend. "So, Soos... How's it been, around here? I like what you did with the place." And, honestly, he did. The Shack seemed lighter, almost like a curse had been lifted from it. Nevermind that one _had_ been lifted from it years ago with the defeat of Bill Cipher. The place seemed more homey, which was soothing to the troubled youth.

"Thanks, dude! Yeah, Melody helped me fix it up a bit more, ya know? We go between living here or at Abuelitas, depending on the season and stuff, so we got rod of some of that old man stink," he said, laughing a bit.

"Haha, that must be it. Say, you two get married yet?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but Soos just gave a wistful smile.

"Nah, bro, not yet. We're waiting until Mister Pines returns from his great sea adventures! We want him to walk her down the aisle, almost like a dad, hambone."

Nodding, Dipper supposed that that made sense, seeing as Soos held Grunkle Stan in such high regard. "Make sure to invite me and Mabel, Soos. I'd love to see it."

"You kidding, bro? You'd be, like, my Best Man, and junk! Say, do y'know when Stan is coming back? It's been a long time, dude."

Dipper smiled gladly when Soos (roundaboutly) asked him to be his best man, but became more dour at the mention of his Great Uncle's absence. "I dunno, Soos," he said gently. "Last I heard, he was sailing up the Brazilian coast, but that was months ago." Soos seemed to _dim_ a little, shoulders slumping, and his smile losing a few of its megawatts. "But, hey," Dipper continued, "I'm _sure_ he has to be coming back soon! And, also, I'd be honored to be your best man, buddy."

"Aww, thanks, dude! Is that a hug I sense coming on? I think it is a hug!" True to his word, Soos brought him in to a crushing embrace, almost breaking the lads ribs.

"Air... Soos! Can't... _Breathe_!"

"Oh!" The 29 year old released Dipper, watching as his blue tinged face regained it's natural hue. "Sorry, brosephelese!"

"Ha... Ha! No worries, buddy. It's good to be back."

 _ **BREAK**_

Hours later, after showering and sufficiently waking up to function, Dipper closed the Shack's door behind him as he left, gazing once again at the text that had sent him out.

 _Hey, dude! Wanna hang out at my place?_ Wendy's picture, a small selfie that she had sent him a summer ago, grinned toothily at him from his phones screen.

Grinning, he sent a quick reply in the affirmative before setting off towards the Corduroy homestead, whistling a jaunty tune, hands jammed in his pockets. Twenty minutes of strolling brought him to her homes door, a bright smile on his face as he knocked three times on the wood. A voice from inside called out, "Come on in, dude! She's open!"

Pushing the door open and stepping in, Dipper looked around the familiar home; garish flannel, a warm feeling, and the stench of Manly Dan's forest-scented cologne. Dipper loved this place. "Hey, Wendy! What's up?"

"Just finishing up in here, man! The family's out on a camping trip somewhere in Washington, so we have the place to ourselves." She came out from the kitchen, closing the door to the fridge (which was filled with smoked salmon and stacks of meat) as she passed. In her hands, there was a large bowl of crunchy snacks, pretzels and chips, and a six pack of PBR in her off hand. She set them down on the table in front of her couch, turning and pulling the Pines boy into a warm hug. "Like I said, Dip; let's catch up and have some drinks, huh? I haven't seen you in ages, dude! We all missed you last summer." She shoved him playfully onto the couch, and then flopped down beside him, putting her bare feet up on the table with a sigh of contentment.

"Missed you, too," he mumbled, taking a can and popping the top. Blushing, he quickly took a swig of the brew, hopefully masking his embarrassment.

Looking at him slyly, Wendy took a swig of her own, giggling slightly at his rosy cheeks. "So, what have you been up to, man? Piedmont must be exciting, you know? Big city life," she teased at him.

He harrumphed grumpily at her. "Exciting, yeah. Ha! Piedmont moves at a snail's pace compared to here. _So_ boring," he complained, downing the rest of his beer in a long gulp before starting on another.

"Hey, man, we can't all be home to the center of the mysterious and supernatural world."

"Yeah, well, fuck you," he groused good naturedly. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he reciprocated merrily. He lightly tapped his chin, almost as if in thought. "It's weird down there, actually."

"Weird? I dunno, man; my town sort of has a monopoly on weird. How many gnome raiding parties do you have to break up in Cali?"

"I wish, Wendy. When I'm up here, I matter, you know? I fight monsters, save the town, do magic and shit like that. What I do here has, like, meaning, and stuff. Back home? I'm nobody. Just another dork who reads weird books and stutters around pretty girls."

"You're not stuttering around me," she pointed out.

"I, umm, t-that is, ahh..."

She giggled behind her beer at his discomfort. "Ah, I'm just messin', dude." Looking a bit more serious, she leaned over towards the young man on her couch. "Dude, just because there aren't monsters to fight in Piedmont doesn't mean you're still not a hero. You saved the world! So fuck what those other guys think; your friends up here know who you _really_ are." Laughing, she rapidly brought him into a combination hug/choke hold, gently noogieing his soft brown head. "And, seeing as youre the hero around here and all, I'm _sure_ you'll have some cute little girlfriend in no time!"

Laughing, Dipper brought his arm around to break the shorter girls hold on him, viciously tickling her sides. She shrieked in laughter, struggling to get him to stop. He abated after a few moments anyway, a slow grin forming on his face. "A pretty girl, huh? I'd like that. As pretty as you, Miss Corduroy?"

Breathing heavily, she was thankful that her face was already red from laughter, to head off any traitorous blushing her cheeks might have done. "Heh... Heh... Dipper Pines, there ain't a girl in all the world as pretty as me!" She boasted, before giggling again.

"I dunno," he teased back; "I've seen some pretty cute blondes around here."

Her eyes widened slightly, a tinge of panic creeping into her mind before she crushed it like a gnat. "Dipper..."

"What?"

Images of a blonde bombshell cornering him with a salicious grin and I'll intent danced crudlelly through her mind. She shook her head. "Just be careful, dude." Smiling viciously, she leaned in to whisper to him, "and make sure to wrap it up, man!" She fell back, laughing at the look of surprise on his face, holding her quavering stomach as her laughter echoed prettily along the walls.

She didn't notice, however, the small way Dipper shivered at the way her breath played against his ear. Shaking his head, he whispered good naturedly to himself, "teasing bitch." And then, with a smile and a war cry, he launched himself back against his twenty one year old friend, fingers reaching for her vulnerable sides.


	3. Somewhere, Waiting For Me

Pacifica Elise Northwest was used to getting what she wanted. First, it was through her parents near unfathomable wealth, and, after that was dumped down the proverbial tubes, she asserted her will through her iron hard determination and razor sharp wit. So, when she had sent a cute text to Mason 'Dipper' 'Stupid Idiot Dork' Pines, asking him if he wanted to be blessed by her immaculate presence- which, she would assure anyone who asked, was a _goddamn blessing_ \- she expected, if not an affirmative (because, despite her bluster, she really _did_ understand that he was fresh into town, road weary, and had seventy different things pulling at his attention), she expected, at the _very least_ , an **answer**!

She had sent her text to him _hours_ ago! The mocking little numbers next to it told her that she had sent it at 10:37 in the morning. Seeing as it was now 6:46 in the evening, she was understandably tiffed at the boy.

 _Hey, Dork! Wanna get together and actually get some time with me? I have something in mind for you, and I know that you'll LOVE it! ;)_

A very straight forward text, succient and easy to comprehend for his hormone addled and distracted mind.

It was a good thing that she hadn't been _waiting_ for his reply all day. She had done her daily ablutions, like jogging and coffee and shooing away that damnable squirrel that was always trying to get in to her bedroom through the window. She hadn't been _dissapointed_ when he ignored her, of course; she didn't feel tight pinpricks in her chest when one of her best friends in the whole world ignored her and her offer to hang around together.

Of course not.

To her mind, there were only three reasons that he hadn't answered.

One, he was taken up by some supernatural creature, either pursuing it using his book, or being pursued by it. Honestly, one generally led to the other.

Two, he was out with Mabel, who, in her rambunctiousness, had caused him to completely forget about his phone while he tried to keep up with the girl, and, also, keep her alive to commit more stupidity. This had, she admitted to herself with a wry smile, happened more than once before.

And, third, he was being... _Distracted_... By someone else. Unbidden, the image of Wendy, head thrown back in ecstacy, pale skin glistening with sweat and other... fluids, as she practically _bounced_ on Dippers large, throbbing, hard-

 _ **Ahem**_.

She coughed to herself, thankful that no one else was there to see her daydream about the erstwhile vixen and the boy she knew her to be trying to prey on. Sighing in defeat, she sat back down on her bed, taking out her phone and opening her ongoing conversation with Mabel Pines.

Strangely enough, she was good friends with the girl. _Very_ good friends, actually- she would call the girl her best friend, if not for, A) believing that having a best friend that you could only hope to see for a quarter of the year was pathetic, and, B) Dipper. Regardless, she loved the quirky girl to bits. The fact that she drove her father absolutely batty when she was around was a delicious bonus, though.

Typing so fast that her thumbs were a blur, she rapidfire texted her excitable friend.

 _Hey! Are you with Dip-Dork? I wanted to ask him something._

She laid back on her bed, absently grabbing her Llama and stroking him gently, like some sort of pagan totem to bring her good luck.

The buzz and jingle of the reply- some cute little pop tune that Mabel had programmed in herself two summers ago and Pacifica hadn't seen fit to update- came with almost startling speed.

 _Nah, I haven't seen bro-bro all day, Pazzy Baby. I've been out with Candy and Grenda since yesterday. We had this awesome sleepover and you totally shoulda came! We're heading to Greasy's for dinner, you should totally meet us there!_

She might as well, honestly. Better than staring at her ceiling and cursing Dipper under her breath. She was about to reply when a second buzz echoed in her room, heralding the sound of Dippers ringtone.

"Somewhere, beyond the sea,

Somewhere, waiting for meeee..."

Honestly, up until yesterday, that small ringtone was the only concession she made that Dipper made her heart flutter like a butterfly. Of course, the fool dork never noticed her subtle meaning (nevermind that the amount of times he would hear his own ringtone could be counted on one hand), for which she was at once thankful and annoyed.

 _Sorry, Paz, I was out with Wendy most of the day. I guess I didn't hear the ring over the movie. I'd love to see you though._

She frowned, immediately thinking of all the things that the ginger could have done in the several hours she had Dipper all to herself.

 _No,_ she thought to herself forcefully, _Dipper wouldn't let it happen that fast_. She had to believe that, if only for her own mental state. She had to believe that Wendy hadn't taken him for her own yet, to break and bend and-

Fuck.

Clearing her head with a violent shake, she cleared her throat quickly and presses the button to dial his phone.

"Dipper? Hey there, asshole. Way to ignore me all fucking day!"

"No, I understand; you haven't seen Wendy in two years- oh, wait, I understand because **I** haven't seen you in two years either, dumbass!"

"It's whatever, Dipstick; just make it up to me with sweets and a free night." She giggled, both knowing that she wasn't _really_ mad at him; it was just how they spoke to one another.

"Alright, hon, meet me at the Shack in, like, half an hour. I know this great spot and, trust me, I am going to _rock_ your world!"

The sound of Dipper gulping in fear could be heard audibly throughout her room.

 _ **Break**_

Mabel Pines was loud, obnoxious, brash, and had a questionable taste in both men and music. Also, she had an old, but still adorable, pet pig named Waddles. And her fashion sense seemed as if it had been catapulted from an alternate universe version of the Sixties where the Hippies used Tie-Dye as war markings for their flower smelling coup. Also-

Well, yes.

Mabel was weird, even by Gravity Falls standards. But, and this was important, she was _not_ , by any means, stupid.

While, yes, her brother was the one who excelled in research, arithmetic, history, basic spelling, advanced spelling, foreign language, magic spells-

Not that that mattered, of course. Because Mabel Pines was smart in the subjects that _really mattered_.

Like **LOVE**!

Also, partying, friend making, sweater knitting, pig taking care of-ness, tie dying her own shirts, and also-

Most. Importantly...

 **LOVE**! She was matchmaker Numéro Uno, and she could smell a potential romance from thirty yards (or, given the right equipment, three hundred miles) away.

Which was why, when Pacifica had done her best to walk next to her brother, she just _knew_ that a potential romance was about to get a-brewing! And they would be, like, just **so** cute together!

Her loveable dork of a baby brother, and the rich girl who grew a heart (and a credit limit).

Her sleepover with Candy and Grenda had been spent gossiping about cute boys, how happy they were to be done with highschool, hot guys, sweater making tips, their favorite sexual posistions ("Whatever you do, guys, _don't tell Dipper!_ "), who they thought would be cute together (where she managed to get Candy to admit that she thought Dipper and Pacifica would be, like, the most _adorable_ couple since, like, _forever_!), and how Grendas long time long distance romance with that rich hunk Marius was going.

And the day after, once they managed to crawl out of bed around noon or so, they had wandered all her old haunts, gossiping and dancing to nothing at all, just like old times.

And, even better, she was so exhausted from partying that night, that she didn't have a single nightmare.

She sent a few texts to Dipper, seeing if he might want to hang with them (and, if she was being honest with herself, she hadn't _entirely_ given up hope on Candy and Dipper getting together). But he didn't answer, like, _all day_ , so they just had fun without her doofus brother with the messy hair.

And it was _fun_!

She hadn't enjoyed herself so much since the last time she was in the Falls, two summers ago, before Grunkle Ford-

 _Bad Mabel_ , she scolded herself. _Happy thoughts!_

Her phone buzzed against her side, and she excitedly checked it. Pacifica?

"Ooooooh," she whispered to herself, as Candy and Grenda looked curiously over her shoulders. "Girls, do you know what this means?"

"That Dipper is lost in the woods again?" Asks Candy.

"That we need to save him from some HIDEOUS BEAST?"

"Probably not! But, even more importantly, we can implement the plan to bring Dipper and Pacifica together in cute couple stardom!" Candy blushed bright red, while Grenda shot her fist into the air with something resembling a battle cry. "Exactly! With us three fine ladies helping him, there's no way he could screw it up! Unless he does, in which case it isn't our faults!" She brought her fist up in some sort of victory pose, smiling brightly enough to blind a Cessna pilot at an altitude of three thousand feet.

She sent a reply to Paz, asking her to come to Greasy's Diner for dinner with them, hoping to maybe grill her for information about how very much _in love_ her and Dipper were about to be. Instead, a few minutes later, she received a negative reply that was, to her mind, even better.

 _Never mind, Mabes, the dork got back to me. I'm gonna hang with him for a while, okay?_

Grinning like a mad woman, Mabel cackled in glee for two of her favorite people in the world.

 _Gonna do naughty things to my bro, huh? Make sure to wrap up his Little Dipper!_

 _I hate you._

 _You love me._

 _Bitch._

 _333 You love me, Llama Lady. Now go! Go in the name of love, justice, and Mabel!_

She just about howled in glee at the text conversation, showing Candy and Grenda when the two girls looked at her in concern.

"Oh dear," said Candy.

"What's wrong, CanCan?"

"What if she does something with Dipper that she regrets? Miss Northwest isn't exactly the most forward thinking girl. Remember when she almost burned down Aleshia Thompson's house when she spat on her?"

"I remember that! Yeah, that was weird. But trust me, guys; Paz won't do anything _too_ bad with my little bro. And _that_ is why we gotta help her! For romance!"

 _ **BREAK**_.

"I'm telling you, Nietzsche was a liar and a charlatan! The Prince was a set up to get the Italian Dukes overthrown and murdered in the streets!"

"Be that as it may," she riptosed skillfully, "he raises good points throughout the text. Questions about morality, the place of man in comparison to the rich and powerful, and the ways in which we conduct ourselves, both in personal and political arenas." She stretched lazily after her tirade, still on her back upon the soft, dewey grass upon the hill where she had taken Dipper. They had been chatting like this for a few hours now, conversations about nothing and everything (and fifteenth century Italian philosophy). Gazing up at the stars, they talked and fought and she loved every red second of it.

"That's rich coming from you, Northwest. 'In comparison to the rich and powerful,'" he mocked her gently "Anyone following his edicts in the way he intended would get their head on a pike."

"Not me," she disagreed. "My people would love me for my great beauty, and fear me for my iron gauntlet of despair!" She giggled, lightly slapping him on the shoulder.

"Ah, yes, the great Queen Pacifica of Oregon State! Feared by common man and uncommon animal alike. She is both terrible and beautiful, all shall love her and despair, ooooh!" He finished by waving his arms around, like a child on Summerween pretending to be a ghost.

"Damn right, dork! I feel like was a reference to one of your geek things."

"Correct, princess."

"Nerd." She turned her head towards the prone boy, sticking her tongue out playfully. He reciprocated with a lazy ease, arms coming to rest under his head like a pillow.

After a while of companiable silence, he spoke up again. "Hey, Pacifica; how did you find this place, anyway?"

She smiled, gazing at the rune markings that caused the ring of trees to be an effective ward against most things that inhabited the forest around her town. "Exploring, mostly. I have a lot of free time when you and Mabel aren't here, so I wander around the woods. I found this place while running from a mountain lion, if you can believe it."

His brow creased in concern. "We're you okay?"

She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Of _course_ I was," she boasted to him. "Damn thing couldn't have caught me even without these magic trees."

"If you say so," he finished with a worried lilt to his voice. It was sweet, she thought, that he was so concerned about her. Abruptly, he blurted out, "You know I love you, right?"

The proclamation hit her like a speeding truck. "I... Wha-?"

He nodded seriously. "You're my best friend, Paz. I'd hate to see you hurt or anything, especially by all the weird shit here. I care about you, you know?"

Right. Friends. Right. Still, it left a warm feeling in her chest and a light blush dusting her cheeks. "I love you, too, dork. And don't _you_ go and get hurt by anything around here either, see? Or else I'll nurse you back to health just so I can beat you to death myself for worrying me!"

He laughed at that, loud and booming. "Yes, my Queen!"

They broke out into giggles and laughter, scooting closer so that she could partially lay on him. _That's what friends do, right?_ She bit her lip in a worried fashion, still unsure about what it was that _she_ wanted. Potentially ruin the best friendship she had ever had?

It was a big thing, to be sure.

But it was a worry for the Pacifica of tomorrow, who would wake up to a beautiful sunrise with a boy she loved very much. For now, she sighed happily, listening to the _thump-a-thump_ of Dippers gently beating heart as he idly pointed out constellations to her, whispering in the excited tone he took when he was explaining something he was passionate about. She smiled.

"... And there, those are the Lovers, do you see?"

Oh, she saw them. It was a warm, sleepy night, and she felt his breathing soon even out, his chest rhythmically rising and falling. She soon followed him, head nuzzling into his chest, eyes closing contentedly.

 _ **BREAK**_

It was Weirdmaggedon again.

Or, at least, something like it.

Horrid, reptilian laughter echoed throughout the burning streets, fit to make his eardrums burst and bleed, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

"Come out!" His voiced sounded very small among the town that was turned into a tomb stone. He swallowed, the sound of his panicked gulp drowning out the laughter for a moment. "Come _out_!"

The laughter redoubled, swallowing the sound of his defiance.

"Show yourself!"

He heard footsteps, all around, a thousand thousand footfalls, so loud that he heard them pounding away inside of his skull, so loud that he heard the grinding of his bones to dust beneath their immensity and malice.

Somewhere, between closing his eyes and bleeding from his nostrils, he had fallen to his knees.

"What do you _want_!?"

The laughter came back, harder and stronger, causing the very ground to shatter and melt, the very earth running like blood from a festering wound. And it kept getting _louder_ , a constant reverberation, an echo of an echo that only ever increased in pitch.

And, just when he felt as though his head, his mind, his very _soul_ would burst upon the ground and evaporate into the air until he was less than a memory, it stopped.

It all stopped, and the silence was even more deafening than the horrid laughter. But it didn't last.

With a sound like thunder coming down a mountain, like the Earth herself was disgorging all of the pent up evil she harbored in her dark places, a word came, bypassing his ruined ears to nestle itself like a parasite deep within his abused brain.

 **PINES.**

 **PINES.**

 **PINES.**

 **PINES.**

 **Pines.**

 **Pines.**

 _Pines._

 _Pines._

 _pines._

pines.

pines.

Dipper.

Dipper.

 _Dipper._

 _"Dipper! Wake up!_ "

With a gasp, flailing his arms like a drowning man, Dipper Pines awoke screaming. Almost blind, he only felt the weight upon him, and his lizard brain did the only thing it could in response.

 _Attack_.

And then, softly.

"You're hurting me. Stop, Dipper. Please."

His eyes shot wide open, bringing soft blonde locks and a tear stained face into terrible, pristine focus. Straddling her, pinning her down with his body weight, he had her arms locked up in one of his, spread above her head. His other hand was clenched into a fist, ready to strike and hurt and _kill_ until he felt safe again. With a terrified gasp, he let her go, falling back onto the soft grass of the hill, feeling tears of shame runneling down his face.

"Did... Did I...?"

"No, Dipper." She gave a tearful smile, because it was obvious that she had been _weeping_ with fear for him from before he had awoke. She moved, coming to kneel down before him, reaching out a hand for him. He flinched and leaned away from her, tears and sobs marring his visage. "Dipper, please." He moved further away, crawling backwards like an animal from her.

"Mason Pines, you come back here right this _fucking instant_!" He stopped, stunned at her outburst, and she took the chance to rush in, enveloping him in a tight hug, kissing at his tears and gingerly wiping his face with her sleeve.

"Shhh, baby, it's okay. You're okay, baby, I'm okay, we're okay, shhhh..." Her whispered, soothing coos calmed him down enough that his shuddering sobs finally stilled, and he returned her hug with a vengeance, crushing her to him. He felt her own quiet tears dripping down her face, falling into his hair where she nuzzled him, and he hated himself because he was too scared to even _move_ , to wipe away her tears and help her like she gracefully helped him.

All she heard for several minutes was "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so _sorry_ , I'm sorry..." So she just rocked him back and forth, holding him close to her, gently brushing away each new tear as the sun, the beautiful, perfect sun, arose on a new day.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."


	4. Where Forests Daren't Take Root

"Only you would listen to rap that educates you about Shakespeare, you fucking nerd," she groused at him. They were slowly trudging back to the Mystery Shack, Dipper looking like death warmed over, and Pacifica going through the music on his phone for the hell of it.

"I'll have you know, MC Lars is a master of both spoken word and lyrical prose," he said distractedly to her.

Laughing, she dropped back to him, throwing an arm around his shoulder companionably. "I'll take your word for it, Dippingsauce. How are you holding up?" Although she wouldn't admit it to him, his outburst had scared her. Not for her own safety, but for his; she knew that he and Mabel still had nightmares, even all these years after the defeat of Bill Cipher (and, if she cared to admit it to herself, she still had them every once in awhile, too), but she had never seen them so _bad_ before.

Before he had woke up, he had been actually _screaming_ in his sleep, thrashing about and crying, and she had had _no idea_ what to do!

And, when he woke up, he had tried to kill her.

There was no getting around that fact; Dipper could have seriously hurt or even killed her while still in the throes of his nightmare, and she knew that, in the moment, she couldn't have stopped him. Thankfully, her words had woken him, which was why she was doing her best to joke around with him instead of bleeding on the forest floor.

He smiled grimly, still wary of being around her after his incident. "I've been better," he understated. He looked like hell, his face still red from his tears, hair mussed to the point of chaos, and his clothes looking more tattered than usual. More than anything, he exuded an aura of sheer _exhaustion_ as he plodded along, swaying from side to side. It seemed that whatever rest he had gotten sleeping with her was eradicated by his nightmare.

"No shit, Sherlock," she teased, gently flicking his nose, sticking her tongue out in a semblance of playfulness.

"Well, fuck you, Watson," he teased back, bringing his hand around lazily to poke her in the side. She yelped, jumping, and laughed richly.

"Never change, dork. Life would be too boring without the Pines."

 _ **BREAK**_

Wendy lounges against the cash register of the Mystery Shack. _The more things change,_ she mused lightly. She had worked at the Shack part time for three years, from fifteen to eighteen, doing whatever Stan or Soos asked of her with teenage sloth and sarcasm. Now, three years later, she was back at the Shack _again_ , working for Soos for pocket change and a bit of the auld lang Syne, as it were. She could honestly say that she liked the place, but that was more for the company it brought, and not the cheap and tacky "Mysteries" that Mister Mystery hawked upon the tourist masses in their ignorance.

And speaking if the company, Dipper meandered into the Shack through the front door, looking like absolute _shit_. "Hey, dude! What the hell-"

Pacifica came in behind him, quietly closing the door behind them, gently leading him up the stairs, pausing at the bottom only to throw a mean glance her way. "What the fuck?" She said to herself under her breath, practically vaulting the front desk in order to race up the stairs after them.

She caught up to Pacifica just as the girl was closing the door to his room, violently shushing her as Wendy's boots made a loud noise throughout the small hallway. "Shhh! He's sleeping!"

Taken aback at her vicious whisper, Wendy slowed to a nervous plod, she padded closer to the girl, movements exaggerated in her effort to keep quiet. "What happened to him?"

Looking at the door with a lost expression, she shook her head. "Nightmare," she said simply.

"Bill?"

"I don't know. He didn't say. Whatever it was, it was bad." They had both, at some point, dealt with the Pine Twins proclivity for screaming nightmares about their vanquished arch-rival. Being in close contact with the demon for so long had affected them more than anyone else in town, except for the older Pine brothers.

"How bad?" She nervously wrung her hands together. She hated this; not being able to help him or _do_ anything at all. She was a girl of action, damnit.

"Really bad," she answered curtly. Her face softened, and she slumped into herself, her own weariness catching up to her now that she didn't have to be strong for Dipper anymore. "Like, really, _really_ bad. I held him for two hours, and he was, just, _sobbing_ the entire time, and he wouldn't stop shaking, and he kept apologizing to me, and-"

She cut herself off before she rambled anymore to the ginger girl that she considered an enemy. "It was bad," she reiterated.

Wendy made as if to reach out comfortingly touch the shaken girl, but thought better of it. Instead, she nodded sharply, turning away and striding out. Parting, she said "I'll call Mabel over. You get some rest, too, Paz."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay."

 _ **Break**_

Three hours later, when Mabel came into the Shack, her hair a tangle of fallen leaves and windswept, she exchanged a glance with the Corduroy girl, who mouthed "his room" to her from where she was forced to man the register. The Alpha Twin nodded, smiling prettily at Wendy before heading up the stairs towards Dippers room, absently stroking the leaves out of her hair as she ascended.

Quietly opening the door, she smiled at the sight before her; Dipper, sprawled haphazardly along his bed, snoring and snuffling in his exhaustion, and Pacifica curled up into herself on the squishy beanbag chair in the far corner of the room, hair all flyaway and makeup smudged.

They were adorable.

Grinning, she tiptoed over to the beanbag, leaving Dipper to his slumber for a while more. Shaking her shoulder gently, she whispered at the blonde, "Paaaaaz... Pazzy Pazzy Paaaaaz!" The girl groggily pushed her away, fingers finding Mabel's cheek and futilely pushing at the grinning twin. Softly giggling, Mabel leaned into the girl, mouth barely an inch from her ear, she deepened her voice to match Dippers as best she could, and lowly moaned at the girl with her best impersonation (which, after years of living with him, was rather spot in), "Oh, _Wendy_!"

Pacifica's eyes shot open, wildly looking around the room, her hair flying with each spastic movement of her head. After a tense moment, she found Mabel next to her, struggling not to break out into loud guffaws at her friends displeasure. Their eyes locked, neither blinking, Pacifica's intense frown deepening at the same rate that Mabel's mischievous smile grew. Finally, the taller brunette let loose the tiniest snort from her nose, which let loose a torrent of giggles that only served to make Pacifica's face even redder from anger and embarrassment.

Pacifica's face went blank for a second, and then she shot like a rocket into the Pines girl, sending them both to the floor, with a muffled yell of "I'm going to fucking _kill you_ , Pines!" Mabel was still giggling as the Northwest tried to strangle her, the girls playfully rolling on the floor of Dippers room.

Abruptly, they pulled to a stop as Dipper rose from his bed at the waist, tiredly rubbing at his eyes for a moment. The girls stayed still and silent, and the boy fell back upon his bed, light snores soon filling the room again.

"That was close," whispered Mabel. Pacifica's hands were in her hair, no doubt to slam her thick skull into the floorboards, and Mabel's were about to tickle the blondes waist in retaliation.

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"About one. You've been out for a while, sleepyhead "

The Northwest groaned, rolling off Mabel with a thud as she hit the floor. "Goddamnit, Mabel, what do we do?"

Sympathetically, the brunette patted the blonde on the shoulder that she could reach from their side by side prone position. "First, tell me about what happened, Paz. We'll go from there, okay? It's probably nothing, but better safe, yeah?"

"Alright." She drew a deep, steadying breath. "We were sleeping on a hill in the forest, maybe two miles from the Shack. It has runes carved into the trees, and they make it so all the animals and weird shit can't come in, you know? So it seemed perfect to just relax togethere and catch up, and it _was_! We talked for hours, and we played around like we were kids again, and it was the best day I've had in two fucking years, Mabes. And he was telling me about all of the stars when we fell asleep, and then..."

Mabel looked at her with an encouraging smile, secretly cataloging all of the cute things the two had done together in her absence.

"And then he started screaming. Still asleep, but screaming like he was being burned alive or murdered, or... Well, it was bad. And when I tried to wake him, he _attacked me_ , Mabel. He overpowered me before I could blink, and he was still _screaming_ like he was dying, but he had his fist ready to beat me, kill me, I- I-"

Mabel crushed Pacifica to her as the blonde broke down crying, stroking her hair and soothing her just as the blonde had done for her brother, hours ago. After a few moments, Pacifica regained enough control to continue.

"I was so _scared,_ Mabes. I didn't know what was going on, and I only wanted to help him when he just... _turned_ on me, like he was an animal. And all I fucking wanted to do when he was about to _murder me_ was to make sure he was okay, and I don't think that's what I should have been thinking, because that's, like, really fucked up, isn't it? Because self preservation is so important, but I cant-"

Mabel put a finger to Pacifica's lips as the girl rambled on, cutting the upset girl off before she could get even more worked up than she already was. "It's because you care for him, Sweetie. And that's perfectly okay, alright? It means you love him enough to worry for him even when he's doing something scary, okay?"

Pacifica gave a wet sounding laugh, awkwardly shrugging while in the other girls grip. "It's still really fucked up, Mabel. I'm certain that he would have killed me."

"Dipper would never-!"

"It wasn't Dipper. Not really. It was like, base human nature or some shit, Mabes. Like he was reduced to an animal. I'd trust Dipper with my life, and I have before. That wasn't Dipper."

Mabel quieted, frowning thoughtfully. Mabel was not a stupid girl; she understood, better than almost anyone, how the supernatural world could make people act strangely, violently, horribly.

Even someone as great as her brother.

It was vexing, if she cared to use the word. On the one hand, it could be nothing. Dipper had had nightmares of a similar nature for more than six years now.

On the other hand, if she ignored it, it could very well prove to be catastrophic. As much as the twins liked to pretend that they were normal people (for a certain degree of normal, of course), they were positively _steeped_ in the Weird; where they trod, strange things followed. It was just how their family was. And Mabel had seen too much of her twins pain to even dare to think that she could afford to play ignorant this time around.

After all, the last time she tried to run away from the horrible truth, she had ended up in a sugary pink bubble of doom.

Abruptly, Pacifica gave a little giggle. "You know, he said he loved me? It was so cute!"

Mabel squealed into the blondes hair, a smile bursting forth upon her face. _Dipper and Pacifica, score one!_ "Spill, bitch!"

 _ **BREAK**_

Dipper awoke to fingers softly stroking his hair. He adjusted himself, looking up to see Mabel gently petting him, almost like their mother would when they were sick. "Hey, sis," he yawned.

"Hey bro-bro. How you feeling?"

"Shitty. What happened? It's all kinda blurry." That was an understatement, of course. His head felt like Waddles had dropped on it from three floors up.

"You had a nightmare, Dip. Really bad. You almost hurt Paz. Almost. She's okay, bro," she said to him as his eyes clouded in panic. "I sent her home to sleep it off. I think we need some awkward sibling bonding conversations to happen, cuz I have a bad feeling about this, bro."

"...Yeah." He forced himself to rise, stretching and yawning profusely. "It's all kind of fuzzy, but the dream was... Well, it was like when Bill came back. But, worse. A lot worse." Unbidden, the echoing laughter of whatever it was that had invaded his sleep came back, and he shivered despite himself. "I think something's coming, Mabel."

 _Pines_

 _pines_

 _pines..._

Over the years, they had learned to trust one another's hunches when it came to the supernatural, especially when it came to dreaming about the Weird.

She stood, smiling at him. "Well, bro, it could be nothing. But, in case it isn't..."

"ROAD TRIP!"

 _ **BREAK**_

When Mabel said "Road Trip", it was a bit incongruous. A better term would have been "Golf Cart Trip", but it didn't roll off the tongue quite as well.

Bidding adieu to Wendy, who had given them her best regards and a big hug ("You get yourself better, dude! Or else I'll have to use Corduroy medicine in your ass!"), they set off into the woods, Mabel's insane driving sending Dipper backwards into his seat as if he were strapped to a discount rocket. On the bright side, any creatures that might have meant them harm simply scattered.

Honestly, he would have rather tangled with that gremloblin they just passed then deal with Mabel's tender mercies.

"Maybe... Slow... Down!?" His voice was almost lost to the howling wind that passed them in the open air cart, the only coherent sound being Mabel's joyous cackling. Abruptly, he was going forward, chest straining against the seat belt as his arms scrabbled for a handhold to arrest his terminal momentum, the terrifying sound of screeching tires inundating his senses and making his head spin.

They had arrived, sheer forest giving way to a deep, dark cave. Inside, the sounds of BABBA echoed outwards.

Dipper smiled to himself.

Then, he vomited onto the forest floor, silently cursing Mabel's driving as she danced happily to "Disco Girl" around him, singing along merrily.


	5. I Am My Worst When You Want My Best

The Multibear looked a bit worse for wear since the last time Dipper had seen his ursine friend. Whole swathes of his matted fur had gone a stark gray color, a few of his many eyes seemed ill focused when they looked at him, and two of his noses were sickly dry.

"Greetings, my friends," he intoned, voice still full and powerful. "You have found me at a most opportune time, for my favorite song is about to start. What brings you to my cave?"

Mabel was already upside down on his couch, hands swatting at the floor and feet wheeling through the air. "You mean we can't just visit?" She blew a raspberry at him, and the great beast gave a chuckle.

"You could, yes. But you're not here for that, are you?"

"Well, no. But, to be fair, we, like, just got here two days ago and junk."

Dipper sat down on the cold cave floor, in front of where Multibear was laying down heavily. He gazed into a pair of soulful eyes, seeming to dig deep into him, as if all the wisdom of the world was kept within.

For all he knew, it was. His friend was a strange creature, ancient and wise.

"I dreamt, Multibear."

The creative smiled playfully, several eyes focusing on the teenager. "Did you dream of trees and flowers? Of the stars in the sky? Maybe of fire made flesh, or ice softened by tribulation?"

Dipper frowned at the hidden implications- not that he guessed all of them, seeing as the bear was just a bit cleverer than he. "I dreamt of the Weirdmaggedon, I think. It was different."

Multibears' main eyes narrowed. "The Cipher is capricious and dangerous. If he is within your dreams, then you are in danger once more, Dipper Pines."

Dipper shook his head, watching Mabel putter around out of the corner of his eye. "It felt different. I _know_ Bill. He's been in my head enough that I know what he feels like. This was... Bigger. Stronger."

The Pines girl was balancing on the back of the couch upon her hands; an impressive display that was certainly marred when she lost her balance and tumbled to the stone floor, landing with a dull thud ("I'm okay! Ow...") and a small bounce.

One of the bears many legs idly swatted at the annoying girl, the paw missing as she rolled away laughing. "There are many things man has never and should never know, Pine Tree. Ancient beings that can not exist upon the world of men, lest they sunder it in pieces. Do you have any clues as to what it might have been?"

Dippers brow furrowed worriedly as he strained to recollect all he could of his nightmare. "There was laughing, I know. Horrible laughter that seemed to make the world shake apart. And... It kept saying my name. 'Pines, Pines, Pines,'" he echoed, fingers flexing.

The Multibear looked worried, multiple faces twisting in dour confusion. "Strange indeed, young one. And you truly feel this needs be investigated?" Multibear was a creature of the Fey and the Weird, more in tune with both the natural and unnatural than Dipper or any living human could ever hope to be. If he was taking this seriously, then Dipper knew that he must, as well.

"Yes. I don't think we can afford not to."

"Of course. I have an idea, young one. Hold here." He rumbled off towards the cave mouth, stopping just outside the entrance. Rearing up on multiple hind legs, all of his heads let out a crashing, thunderous roar. It nearly deafened the Pines, and could be heard for miles around the forest, reverberating like an since my storm gods anger.

Dipper and Mabel didn't know it, as they were too young, but it was the sound of the Multibear going to war. His call was not met with silence.

From all around the forest, a great, keening wail went up; the howl of wolves, the answering call of bears, and the manifold sounds of the stranger creatures of the woods. They came as a cacaphony, reaching a mighty crescendo that echoed into a silence that made the absence of the forest sounds afterwards all the more keenly felt.

Dipper numbly came to stand beside the great bear Lord, Mabel coming around the other side as she idly strokes his fur. "What was that?"

A semblance of a smile came upon the beings main face. "The sound of change, young Dipper. I am protector of the beasts here, and so they answer to me. I have called them out, in a search for what I need that may only be found in the wilder and quieter places. They will find them, bring them here, and I shall make for you a potion, that we may once again gaze into your nightmares. Come back here in a week's time, and we shall commence."

Dipper looked at him thoughtfully. "Thank you, my friend. What do you mean, protector? I thought you were just a magic bear with many heads?" Honestly, Dipper never thought that he would have cause to say those words strung together, but this summer was rapidly becoming strange- even by Gravity Falls standards.

"I have protected this forest for generations of men from the degradations of the evil and misguided. The more harm a creature wishes to do to my home, the stronger I become in comparison. Over many years, I have learned to govern all beasts as they would govern themselves, and so they listen to and respect me."

"So, is _that_ why I was able to beat you when I was twelve?"

"Yes, Dipper Pines. You were innocent, seeking to do no evil. You thought me an evil beast, but even still you stayed your blow. Even the Manataurs, my great rivals, are not evil, merely misguided. However, you still bested my normal self, which is a _bear_. Do not think you are lessened in your victory," he chided gently.

Dipper blushed, and Mabel reached over (climbing onto the bears back to do so) and dunked him gently on the forehead. "You're awesome, bro. Not as awesome as me, but still cool."

"Yeah, yeah. I still claim Alpha Twin, though," he kidded her. He stopped a moment. "Wait, generations... Multibear, just how old _are you_?"

Soulful brown eyes looked into his. "I have wandered this earth for 800 years, child. Not all of it well spent. You shall learn more some other time, my friend. Go, now. Come back in a week."

The twins found each other's eyes and nodded. They caught the great beast in a gigantic hug between them, which Multibear gently returned. In between murmured goodbyes and promises to visit more often, they left Multibear to his domain.

Dipper insisted on driving them back to the Shack.

 _ **Break**_

"How'd it go?"

They trudged in through the Shacks door, Mabel's face looking a bit strained as she smiled her brightest at the redhead. It was late in the day, and they had been gone for hours by now.

"Dippers gonna have a magical hippie journey with all the forest creatures in a week! I'm jealous," she said with a lilt to her voice.

"Whoa. Seriously, dude?" She leaned effortlessly against the counter, trying to mask just how nervous she felt for her two favorite little dweebs (that, she had to admit, weren't so little anymore).

"Yeah. Multibear is making all the wolves and bears and shit do all his collecting, and then he is gonna make a potion so we can travel into my mindscape and see what's going on in there," he answered.

"So... You're going to go get high with a bear in the woods?"

His shoulders slumped. "Essentially, yes."

"Magical hippie journey, whoo!" Mabel started dancing to whatever music was pounding in her head, energetically swinging her arms and legs about in some fluid semblance of grace.

 _Crazy broad_.

"That's... Awesome?" She tested the word out on her tongue for a moment. Off to the side, Mabel's dance had turned into some combination of a war dance and a drum circle. Honestly, it looked like a lot of fun. "Yeah, awesome. Let's get this shit figured out, nerds!" She reached out and high fived Dipper, and managed to fling her hand into Mabel's dancing with enough precision to get a congratulatory hand slap from her, as well. "Soooo... What happens until then?"

"No idea! I guess we just... Hang around? Normal Gravity Falls mysteries?"

"Fair enough." The redhead turned thoughtful for a moment, and a smile crept up her face. "Hey, my shift ends in, like, an hour. do you guys wanna come to my place and get drunk?"

Whatever answer Dipper had for her was drowned out by Mabel jumping onto her back like a spider monkey, screaming out a joyous "Yes! Yes! Yes!" As the redhead rocked forward from the impact, she saw Dipper give a bemused grin before nodding at her.

"This is gonna be so awesome, bro! Let's go get that Corduroy booze!"

 _ **BREAK**_

Multibear gazed out over his domain, a sorrowful look on his face. Before him, a pack of wolves laid offerings at his feet- the ingredients needed so that he and Dipper could return to the dream that plagued him.

Soon, he would have to take mortar and pestle to the roots and berries and weeds that, if prepared wrong, could poison the both of them. But, he had done this more than a few times in the centuries that he had stayed here, and he knew all of the right ways to enhance and enchant for this potion.

A pair of wolf pups played in and around his legs, playfully fighting and snapping at each other. He smiled, a paw coming down to playfully tousle their fuzzy ears. He loved these creatures under his protection, each and every one of them. Even those that he hunted for food, he loved. And Dippers premonitions worried him immensely, because of that.

The last time the Weird had made landfall in Gravity Falls, the forests had burned. The land was poisoned, and the creatures that did not flee were turned into... _Abominations._ If something like that was coming yet again, he knew that it would spell disaster for his beloved home. And he didn't have the strength anymore to stop it.

 _Who could it be?_ Bill Cipher was vanquished- not dead, but because of the nature of the spell with which he was defeated, he could not return to earth for another 67 years, unless he had found some way to pierce through his prison; even then, Bill Cipher was a minor demon at best, jumped up on delusions of grandeur and the special way in which Gravity Falls empowered Weirdlings. The last great demon to break through the Weird and into the world was nearly destroyed three hundred years ago. Most importantly, though, why here?

Gravity Falls was a strong focal point of magic and strangeness, but there were many, _many_ more in the world, and many that were stronger or better suited for a breakthrough.

Not that he could even _begin_ to fathom the ways and wiles of beings from the beyond. They were capricious, vicious, violent, and utterly unknowable.

Well, except for one of them. He knew _that_ Beasts' ways quite well.

"Is it you?" His voice was a whisper. "Is it you here, my old master?"

Nothing answered him, save the wind.

 _ **Break**_

Wendy was drunk.

Well, that wasn't quite true. She was, if she were pressed to explain, _pleasantly tipsy_ , at best. She was also known to be horrible at gauging her own level of drunkenness, but she _swore_ that she only had, like, maybe... Six drinks? Seven?

But it was still a good thing, being drunk with good friends in the comfort of your own flannel patterned home. Now, one thing she _did_ know for certain, was that Dipper Pines could _not_ hold his liquor.

Her and the twins were bottle deep in her precious booze stock; one bottle of whisky was gone, they had nixed several cans of beer, and she was almost certain that there was more that she was a bit fuzzy on recollecting.

She was, in a word, content. Mabel had put on some obnoxious pop song that Wendy would never admit to anyone (including herself) that she enjoyed, nevermind he fact that she was unconsciously bopping along to it from her seat next to Dipper.

Mabel had stepped out to make a phone call to Candy and Grenda, and she had been out for a _long time_ , at least according to Wendy's skewed sense of time. She didn't even know long that they had been partying together, but it was so much fucking _fun_ that she didn't care. And, besides, Mabel was probably gossiping about whatever boy had caught her eye recently, not that there weren't a _lot_. Mabel had the worst wandering eye that she had ever come across, and she had the looks and energy to snare them if she so desired.

Honestly, it reminded Wendy of herself. She had some wild college days that weren't that far behind her.

Dipper, though; the poor boy was swaying from side to side from his position at her side, which was equally impressive with the sheer amount of alcohol that he had imbided- not much. He alternated between lolling listlessly on the couch, or leaning onto her shoulder, giggling at some joke that he hadn't seen fit to share with her.

God, but he was so fucking _cute_ like this!

"It's a good thing we cut you off, Dip," she teased him.

"Y...yeah, ish is! I might be's dr-drunk, Wendy."

"Understatement of the _year,_ dude." Was she slurring? Maybe a little, but nowhere _near_ as bad as Dipper here. She knocked back what was left in her cup- a mixture of whisky, coke, and maybe some gin? Either way, it tasted like she needed another drink to wash it down with. Luckily, Dippers untouched beer was right there! Kicking her feet up, she reached languidly over and grabbed the still unopened can, popping the top and taking a long draft of it in one fluid motion.

"Hey! Tha's mine!" Dippers slurred speech was backed up by him reaching over for the can, which she simply pulled out of his reach, so that her body was between him and it. Not to be deterred, the drunk boy tried to climb over her, hands reaching out and grasping the couch, her legs, and almost, but not quite, her (ample, thank you very much) tits in his attempt to climb Mount Wendy. "Give s'it baaaaaccck," he whined.

"Dip- gah! Dude! Not cool, man!" Her free hand trapped by his heavy body, she could only wriggle beneath him in distress- the other option being to drop the beer; being the daughter of the manliest lumberjack on the west coast, the thought never even crossed her mind.

"I jus' wanna sip, Wen," he said, gaining some leverage as he pushed himself along. It tickles, too, which made it all worse- amidst her cries of distress, she broke out into a fit of giggles, shaking even more underneath the young man.

"Alright, fine, ya dick!" But she was laughing, finally getting her opposite arm loose enough to push the boy further along, until he was, quite unintentionally, straddling her lap. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, a part of her was screaming that this was a Bad Idea. But she certainly wasnt going to listen to the boring, sober part of her mind, especially when she was drunker than she cared to admit to herself and she was having so much damn _fun_ being drunk with Dipper and Mabel. Instead, she brought the can lazily over, grinning as Dipper proceeds to greedily guzzle down his portion, before he (quite nobly, she presumed) gaze the rest to her, coming to rest down on her like a weight made of her conscience.

Damn, but his eyes were deep.

His breath was distracting her, coming down in short, heavy gasps that _tickled_ her ear lobe deliciously . His body sort of... _Melded_ into her own, and she could feel almost every lean bit of him. It occurred to her, as she turned towards his face (that was oh so close, not even inches away, with his eyes half lidded and his lips a pouty sort of smile), that she was about to do something very, very _stupid._

Too bad that stupid was what she was good at, baby.

"Hmmmm... You're comfy, Wendy," he droned.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he giggled. "An' you're pretty, too. Prettiest girl I know!"

Her own eyes became heavy, lids coming down halfway for reasons much different than the Pines boys eyes. "Prettier'n Pacifica?" she slurred at him. Her head went closer to his, both leaning against the flannel colored couch, their noses almost touching.

"Yeah," he said. "Prettier then 'Cifica."

She smiled, looking into his eyes, drinking him in.

He kissed her.

Just the quickest sort of peck, so fast that it almost didn't register. His eyes were wider now, almost like he was surprised at what he had done.

Hell, he probably was.

"Sorry, Wendy. I didn't... I don't... That was a mistake," he finished lamely. His head made to move away in some sort of booze fogged shame, but it stopped.

Her hand was there, gripping at his neck, digging into his hair. "Was't a mistake, Dip? A big, fat mistake?" Her voice was a purr, and he shivered in her embrace.

"Yeah. You said we were jus' frien's, an' I'm sorry."

She hummed softly, nose reaching out to nuzzle his. She breathed into him, reaching to give him the tiniest bite on his ear lobe. "I liked that mistake, Dipper," and, far in the back of her mind, she realized that she was doing something desperately wrong with the boy that she tried to convince herself she saw as a brother. "It was a very _good_ mistake."

A big goddamn mistake.

She struck, mashing her lips to his the way she learned that shy boys like. Their lips melded and danced, and she felt his tongue lazily worming it's way into her mouth to duel with hers. He moaned into her, like he didn't know if he was dreaming or not. She hummed appreciably at him, enjoying the way he felt- against her lips, against her body, pressed tight against her chest-

They broke apart, breath coming in short gasps, her lips feeling like electricity and she still _tasted him_.

He was delicious. She licked her lips and moaned, and she felt so wonderfully _dirty_.

He grinned at her, head dropping in booze-soaked exhaustion. "Hmmmm, Wendy. Good... Dream," he yawned. His eyes closed, he reached out to strike her cheek gently, before he slumped foreward, and she could tell that he had fallen into a deep, forgetful sleep.

She felt a tear force it's way down her cheek, and she knew that she was, definitely, a lot more drunk than she had thought she was. "A big fucking mistake," she mumbled to herself. She stood, shakily, and left the boy on the couch to sleep it off, angrily scrubbing at her treacherous eyes.

And she didn't even see the small flash that had went off while her and Dipper had been making out.

 _ **Break**_

It was a simple text that Mabel sent. The girl didn't have anything against Wendy, personally, but she knew that kissing his old crush was _far_ from healthy for her brother. She just wanted what was best for him, honestly.

 _To: Pazzy._

 _Step up your game, bitch._

Underneath, the small picture of Wendy doing her best to steal all the breath in Dippers lungs.

The female twin wasn't quite drunk anymore, and she was from happy. _I hope I'm doing the right thing. God, I'm sorry, Wendy._

"I'm so sorry."


	6. All That Is Not Love Is Desperation

She was back at the hill.

The sunrise was creeping up through the forest, and she felt him stirring under her, all motion and nervous energy brought to purpose by budding fear. But she knew what to do now.

As he shot up, the screams within him welling like an inexorable and horrid pressure, she grabbed him, holding his arms tight as her arms encircled him, legs coming to straddle him just behind his hips.

And when his mouth was opening to scream, she surged forward and _kissed_ him for all she was worth. She pushed their lips together with an almost feral desperation, nipping at his bottom lip and pushing him backwards until he was once again laying upon the dew soaked ground, her hands moving up from his sides and into his messy brown hair, tugging insistently.

 _Wake up, baby._

His eyes shot open, nostrils flaring as his panicked breaths slowly subsided. But, just as she relaxed a bit, guiltily breaking the (amazing, beautiful, perfect) kiss, he surprises her by flipping her onto her back, mirroring the first time she had witnessed him violently waking from his nightmare.

This time, though, instead of a balled fist, she was met by his hand gently stroking her cheek. She nuzzled into it, a happy and content sigh ghosting past her lips.

"Paz. You woke me up," he said in a delightfully breathy voice, and he moved in to kiss her cheek, his face rubbing gently into hers and not leaving. She shivered.

"Yeah. You... You were having a nightmare, and I didn't want you to... Scream."

He hummed, nuzzling her, his hand moving from her cheek and into her hair, playing with the blonde locks that came out just near her scalp. "And you kissed me," he whispered, the words coming out to dance against her ear, leaving her shivering and clenching her legs. Her arms moved against his hand where he had them trapped above her head, and she bit her lip to keep from moaning dirtily.

"I-I... Yes. I d-did."

"I liked it," he stated, and then he _bit_ her earlobe, and she _did_ moan this time, powerfully and lustily and long, moving her head into his so that he had better access to her ear and neck, feeling his teeth sink in so _sinfully_ well against her, the way his lips and tongue ran up her neck, the quick little breaths escaping his nose to dust against her skin.

She shivered more, body reacting all on its own, and she wondered if anything was even _allowed_ to feel this fucking good.

He left her neck, and she whimpered piteously, like he was taking away the most important thing in life from her, but he kissed his way up her jaw, missing her lips and moving back with a teasing smile that left her _aching_. "I liked it," he whispered from above her. "It must have been a very good dream, to get you to wake me like that."

Her eyes wide, she nodded desperately, struggling to bring herself up to him again, to make herself feel _good_ like he made her feel good. "Yeah. A go-... Good dream, Dipper."

He smiled, reaching down to kiss her, and she felt his breath playing on her lips, and she closed her eyes and she was dripping with anticipation...

And that's when she woke up.

 _ **BREAK**_

Pacifica was having a good day.

Earlier, Mabel had explained to her how her and Dipper were going to go to the Multibear's cave to figure out what had happened to him- his screaming, delirium inducing nightmare. Anything that could _fix_ whatever had come over her good friend was great news in her book.

She had also managed to scrounge up enough money- scrimping, saving, helping around with whatever odd jobs that she could hide from her parents ("A Northwest does not resort to peasent work, young lady," her father's voice mocked her from her mind), to go shopping for some new clothes that she, if she was being honest with herself, _desperately_ needed. Comparative poverty had done a number on her wardrobe; and, while she enjoyed, somewhat, the frugality that came with her lifestyle post Weirdmaggedon, she had no desire to dress like a pauper.

After all, even after everything, she was still a Northwest. She held herself to a certain standard.

So, coming back to her house with bags on her arm, a spring in her step, and absolutely _killer_ heels waiting for her in a box in one of her bags, she was feeling really _good_. Dipper was getting fixed, she was gonna show him the meaning of sexy- that is, her in tight jeans and those delightfully sinful heels- and no one was gonna stop her.

Going into her room and lighting some nice smelling candles to soothe her, she spirited the bags into her closet, not dwelling on just how _empty_ it seemed in comparison to when she was growing up.

It was a long day, and she smiled as she lay down for a while, feeling the need for a short nap before she met up with Mabel (who was already drunk, according to her increasingly erratic texts as she clandestinely kept an eye on Dipper and Wendy, who were also drunk) to gossip and discuss her brother.

The handsome boy was the increasing center of conversation for the two girls, and Mabel was being far from impartial as to whose side she was on in the impromptu cold war between Pacifica and the Corduroy, for which the Northwest girl was thankful beyond measure. It was like an ace up her sleeve, if the Ace had hyperactivity issues and a somewhat disturbing love of pigs.

What had started as a moment of lazing in bed had turned into a two hour nap, the girls tired body taking advantage of her comforting sheets.

And, then, she had woke up soaked in sweat and with her panties drenched in-

 _ **Ahem**_. Well, yes.

Gingerly fetching herself a new pair, she couldn't help suppress a giggle, wondering if the boy was actually that skilled with his lips as she had imagined. And then, she had noticed a new message on her phone.

 _Step up your game, bitch._

The picture was so clear and concise that she almost didn't believe it. She was still dreaming, she was delirious! She pinched herself, and she was _awake_ , and her good mood went out the window.

She screamed so loudly that her neighbors heard her two doors away, her voice breaking through walls, windows, and the darkening sky as she did her best to keep from _weeping_ in rage.

 _That filthy ginger haired whore! That skank! That lumberjack looking Pines stealing_ _ **slut**_ _!_

She felt utterly helpless, and that only served to make her even angrier. She let loose upon her pillow, alternating between punching it as hard as she could and screaming into the feathery softness, the ability to form words momentarily beyond her.

All she could hear in her own mind was the echoing laughter of the red head, and, beneath it, the sordid whispering that plagued her just behind her waking thoughts.

 _He doesn't want you anymore._

 _He doesn't need a friend like you._

 _Nobody needs a friend like you._

 _Worthless. Not even good for money anymore._

 _Mommy and Daddy are gone, and now the rest will leave._

 _You're going to be all alone again ._

 _All alone._

 _Alone._

 _Alone..._

" **NO!** " She lay panting on her bed, angry tears streaming her face, hands cupping her face as her treacherous body wracked itself with sobs.

Finally, she calmed enough to grab onto Mason, the soft Llama acting as a surrogate for who she actually wanted to hug her- which, at this point, was anyone. "No, no, no," she chanted to herself for a moment. "I won't let it happen."

"I won't lose him. I can't be alone like I was," she finished in a desolate whisper, imagining her life in a mansion, surrounded by a family that didn't see her, and 'friends' who only used her for status. Like being alone in a crowded room.

Her family, if she could call her parents that, barely even spoke to her, and her best friend in the world was slipping through her fingers.

"I can't lose."

She stood up, shaking her head and drying her tears. "Bitch wants to play ball?" She wiped her face again, heading towards the door. "Okay. Let's play."

She had to go meet Mabel. They needed to _talk_.

 _ **BREAK**_

Dipper awoke with a groan, his pounding head telling him that he had, perhaps, made a mistake trying to keep up with the two girls with, apparently, iron livers. Bleary eyes opening despite themselves, he saw that, A, he was spread out gracelessly along the couch with a (unused, thankfully) bucket sitting next to his head, and, B, Mabel was making bacon in the kitchen.

Well, he didn't _see_ her, so much as smell the sizzling meat and hear the girl singing happily to herself, her voice, as always, too goddamned _loud_ for a hungover morning. He meant to ask her any of several different questions, but what came out of his mouth was a sound similar to "Bluuuurrrghh."

It seemed to have worked, though, because Mabel came out of the kitchen with a bright smile and, more importantly, a plate full of sizzling, greasy bacon for him. "Morning, sleepybutt! So, what did we learn?" He groaned, reaching out like a zombie for the plate, which Mabel teasingly kept just out of reach. "Ah, ah, ah! What did we learn, Dip-Dop?"

Swallowing and trying not to dry heave, he managed to eke out to her, "don't... Try... Drink... Wendy..."

"Eh, good enough. Here ya go!" She put the plate on the table in front of him, laughing as he tried to flail in its direction. "Do you want some OJ? Of _course_ you want some!" She pranced off to the kitchen, loudly singing a BABBA song.

He awkwardly shoved a piece in his mouth. It was _much_ too hot, but his fried nerve endings only picked up that it was food, so he dutifully chewed it until he could swallow it. It hurt, kind of, but he was hungover and probably still drunk, so he didn't care.

"Here ya go!" Mabel placed the glass of juice next to the plate, and then plopped down on the couch on top of his legs, a plate held in her off hand. "You look like shit, bro," she chided.

"Feel like it," he managed, wrangling another piece of bacon into his mouth. Swallowing, he managed a wry smile. "I regret everything I remember."

She laughed. "And what do you even remember, brochacho?"

"Not a damn thing," he admitted, shamefully stuffing more bacon into his mouth. Mabel laughed harder at him. "Say, where's Wendy?"

"She had to run out on some errands, so she let you sleep it off, seeing as youre so darn cute when you're sleeping in a puddle of your own drool."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I feel sticky and abused. I slept like shit, too."

"Is it... Ya know, bear stuff?"

"Huh?" He wasn't sure if Mabel was being obtuse, or it was just his addled mind, but that went _completely_ over his head.

"Ya know, with the nightmare, so we went to see Multibear? Bear stuff," she enthused.

"...You're an idiot," he told her, and she stuck out her pink tongue. "And, no. It wasn't 'Bear Stuff'. I just, ya know, slept awkwardly on a flannel patterneed couch with half my blood replaced by booze. It's a thing," he finished.

"If you say so," she said guardedly. Immediately perking up, she started bouncing up and down. "Let's have an adventure! Oh! Omigosh! We have to get everything ready for WADDLES!" Whatever answer Dipper might have had for the girl was drowned out by her self referential squealing as she recommended herself in the house of once again having her pig.

Waddles had grown slowly over the seven years that they had owned him; starting out as a modestly sized piglet, and now being a five hundred pound hog that, had she the mind, Mabel could ride around on. Not only did she _not_ , though, she still wrestled with the animal just like she did when she was twelve! Dipper had to marvel at his sisters strength and sheer foolhardiness. However, given her never ending love for sweets, a good old fashioned romp with her pig was the best way she knew to make sure she kept off any unwanted poundage from her candy binging.

And, somehow, Dipper gets roped into preparing a homecoming party at the Shack for their tamed pig, shoveling mud and then burying vegetables in it for the pig to root around for.

It's hard work, and the fact that it's an absolute _scorcher_ of a day- coupled with his stubborn hangover- make it even worse. But, at the end, when he wipes away his sweat and surveys his handiwork- about 400 square feet of pig-party mudpit- he feels accomplished. And the way that Mabel positively _beams_ with joy at what he did made it all worth it.

Until she threw them both into the mud, of course.

 _ **Break**_

It is the Spring of 2013, and Dipper is back in Piedmont, drudging his way through school. Perhaps the strangest thing about being surrounded by almost insanity inducing weirdness is that, back home, where everything is normal and sane and so very much unlike Gravity Falls, is that all this normality seems _wrong_.

He shouldn't be walking ill-cleaned hallways and bumping elbows with the teenaged masses of his school; why, when he had fought through the _**Apocalypse**_ not even seven months ago? What did he care for trigonometry, when unicorns and mermaids and centaurs were lurking about in the forests a few hundred miles north?

With the ringing of the bell that signals the end to another class that he cant bring himself to care about, he pauses just long enough to sneak a look at his phone. He had been almost _religiously_ texting Wendy, Soos, Pacifica (when she got a chance to answer, her life being even more hectic than usual now), literally _anyone_ from Gravity Falls who could validate his being there.

Just so he knew that it had been real.

The wounds were fading, his scars were growing fainter with each passing day, and he was _terrified_ that they would disappear and he wouldn't be able to tell if the summer had just been his delusions or not.

Mabel felt similarly, but she bounced onto her feet like she always did- mostly because she didn't know any other way to live. He envied her, sometimes- she was laughing and playing and reconnecting with her friends here in a way that he couldn't even _fathom_.

Hell, his twin great uncles- one of whom had spent a number of years trapped by a port in an alternate (or... Something?) dimension- were currently sailing around the world looking for even _more_ monsters or demons or anomalies, and Dipper just had to pretend that everything was _okay_?

As if he could, after everything that had happened. He still had the scars.

Honestly, he was thankful that he could still doff his shirt and see the evidence of the summer. It made it more real, a visceral sense of what he had accomplished. He was a hero, and no one who didn't now know ever would.

There was a certain given baseline for normal; and now that his normal was gnomes and dream demons and Multibear's, the rest of the world seemed a bit more dim and dull.

He glided through the halls, the random snatches of conversation he caught as he passed had no bearing on him. Even the boys that he called his friends- not many, but enough that he wasn't alone when he wished- seemed more distant than he remembered. For better or worse, Gravity Falls had put up a barrier around the Pine Twins, girding them from the world they once knew.

He saw it in Mabel, too. Her smile was just a bit strained, her laughter and demeanor seemed... _forced_ , some how. He only noticed because she was his twin, and their sibling bond had only become closer in the aftermath of Bill Cipher.

Of course, maybe her was thinking too much. It was, after all, just a few more months until they returned.

The rest of the day passed by in a familiar blur, the answers coming effortlessly to the scholarly boy, even if he was barely paying attention. His teachers were too overworked to comment upon it, and he brought up the class average regardless, so they generally let him lie. The bus ride home, Mabel sitting next to him and making silly noises, was the highlight of the day- at home, he could message his friends up north with impunity, he could write entries in his Pine Tree journal, he could-

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of his Grunkle Ford-, face ashen pale, a beaten Fez clutched in his hands.

"Dipper," he started awkwardly, the younger twins parents sitting behind him, faces a mixture of shock and anger; they didn't know they had a _second_ great uncle, and how the Hell did you even broach that subject? Before or _after_ the interdimensional dream demon?!

"I'm sorry. These aren't... I mean to say... Stanley, he..." The two children were frozen in place upon the precipice, almost as if they hoped that bad news could not reach beyond their doorway. Like they could close the door and pretend that life was just the same as it was not even a minute ago. And then, Mabel stepped through the door.

"Where's Grunkle Stan?" Mabel's eyes were already brimming with tears, because she already _knew_ the words that were going to come out of their Great Uncle's mouth. " _Where is he!?"_

The normally unflappable man, who had spent time trapped in a portal, battling demons and the unknown, was almost stammering, worrying at the worm Fez in his hands. "Stanley, he... That is, your great uncle, he... In the Atlantic, we... I'm so sorry, Dipper, Mabel. I'm so-"

Dipper woke up, heavy breaths escaping from his chest. He was in a cold sweat, his sheets soaked, eyes bloodshot.

 _Breathe. Breathe. Grunkle Stan is fine, and-_

And Grunkle Ford wasn't. He groaned, his hands fisting at his sleepy eyes. He had done his best not to think about the man that would have been his mentor. _So much for that._

He turned, looking at his alarm clock. 4:22 AM. Moaning piteously, he rolled out of bed.

He wouldn't be going back to sleep that night, and the little he got wasn't enough. It was going to be a long week.


	7. I Am As I Wish I Never Was

When she came into the Shack at 9 AM- technically 8:57, but she wouldn't quibble- Dipper was there, eyes bloodshot and an empty cup of coffee clutched in his hands. His face sort of turned to track her, eyes not really registering where she was so much as the fact that she was there. If there was a greeting to be taken from the piteous moaning that came from his mouth, she couldn't decipher it.

"That bad, dude?" She sat down across from him, putting her long legs up on the free chair normally filled by Mabel. "Another nightmare?" She winced sympathetically at him when he managed a nod, head lolling about like he was a puppet with his strings cut. "Was it, like, similar to the other one, or-"

"Nuh," he managed, upending his coffee cup over his mouth to down whatever last drops might still be there. "Just normal shit. I've had similar before, so it's just shitty timing. I've barely slept for two days now, man," he finished with the smallest of smiles dusting his face.

"I'll say, dude. Total negation of cool. Any way I can help?"

"Do you know a special lumberjack sleeper hold technique that will knock me out for a dreamless sleep?"

She joked back to him, "I mean, I could snap your neck or some shit, Dip, but that wouldn't really help too much, huh?" She laughed a small little laugh, and his wasn't much better. She shrugged. "It's whatever, man. What sort of insomnia is gonna stop the unstoppable Dipper Pines?" She punched him lightly on the shoulder, and he grimaced a little.

"I'm pretty damn stoppable, Wendy. I'm not tough like you are," and she could hear the faint tone of admiration in his voice that hadn't gone away since he was twelve.

"You kiddin'? Dude, you wrestled a _bear_ when you were twelve. You went off into the woods with a flail and brought back some demon goblin thing ten times your size in a damn sack! Face it, dude- even when you were some noodle armed runt, you were a total badass." She crossed her arms, daring him to disagree with her.

"I was lucky," he protested.

"Duh!" She stuck her tongue out at him, and his eyes darted to the appendage quickly, then back to her eyes. "And, also, awesome. Don't sell yourself short, man. We saved the world together, so you get some bragging rights. It's not everyone that can keep up with a Corduroy," she boasted jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're awesome. And, so am I, I guess," he conceded. He yawned, blinking rapidly as a stroke of sunlight came in through the window between the slats of the blinds. "Damn I'm tired. It's been, like, four hours already that I've been up. I can't fucking deal, man," and his head thudded onto the table.

She got up, standing behind him and rubbing his back in soothing circles. She thought that she might have been a bit flushed, but she forced herself not to dwell on it. "What have you even been doing, dude?"

"Trying to get back to sleep, mostly. I spent some time filling out my journal, too," he motioned to the leather bound book with a pine tree symbol on it. "Kill me," he whispered theatrically.

She snorted. "No such luck, Pine Tree. You're stuck with me!" And she wrapped her arms around his shoulder companionably, resting her chin on his head. He chuckled, reaching up to rest his hands on her forearms.

"What would I ever do without you, Wen?"

She giggled. "Be incredibly bored and less awesome, of course. And also probably dead. Good thing you'll never have to find out, Pines."

He laughed throatily, and then sighing contentedly, enjoying his friends comforting proximity.

"Say, where's the second half of your terrible twosome?"

"Mabel's out with Pacifica, I think," he said.

"Oh. That's... Great," she said guiltily.

"Like, super great."

 _ **Break**_

"It's not like I don't like Wendy, you know? She's great! She's funny and pretty and she's, like, the super-coolest chick I know, plus she's great at all the mystery stuff! And shes-"

" **Mabel**! Not helping!"

"Sorry," squeaked the chastised girl, blushing a bright discus color as she sunk into herself momentarily. But she bounced back after a second, taking Pacifica's hand as they sat at the small cafe on the corner of Main Street. "But, like I was getting at, Paz, is I _really_ don't think that Bro-Bro would do well with her, you know? She's, like, our older sister, plus Dipper already had his super crush phase on her. So I just have this _feeling_ like it's a bad idea and I don't want to see him hurt. Plus, it's obvious that you're, like super-gaga over him-"

"-I am _not_ sup-".

"-and you two would be the most _adorable_ couple," the hyperactive brunette finished, ignoring Pacifica's attempted outburst. "So, that's why I'm gonna help you with Dippingsauce and his awkward ways. Yeah?"

Pacifica sunk into her fancy sounding drink that had cost way too much for her strained wallet, contemplating the latte swirls and slight steam coming off it. "I shouldn't, you know?" When Mabel only gave her an encouraging smile, she pressed on. "I've known the dork for years, and, yeah, he's cute and brave and handsome and-" She cut herself off, taking a sip from her drink to calm her before she rambled some more to the female twin. "Yes. He's my best friend in the world, except for you, and that title depends on the day of the week," she laughed softly.

Under her breath, Mabel softly chanted, "Al-pha _twin_ , Al-pha _twin,"_ and Pacifica suppressed a snort at the ridiculous girls antics.

"I shouldn't be so _into_ him, Mabes. I shouldn't want to be closer than I am! We've got this good thing going, and I'm going to fuck it up because of _hormones_ ," she finished with disgust in her voice.

"Pazzy baby, you've been into him for a _lot_ longer than the past couple days. It's obvious to a love expert like me," Mabel said, striking a pose that looked even more ridiculous given her hand dyed hippie shirt, a bedazzled bandanna holding back her long hair.

"Yeah, sure," the blonde dismissed. "Says the girl who fell in love with a fish!"

Mabel passed her a scandalized look, before blowing a raspberry in her direction. "I'll have you know, Mermando was a perfect gentleman! Also, super cute."

"And I bet he smelled like salmon," she snipped.

"Tuna actually," and they broke out into happy giggles. Mabel took a drink from her cup, all fruit and sugar and surprisingly little caffiene. Around them, the cafe, called Mary's Hideaway, sleepily played out its morning routine, groggy patrons speaking in hushed voices over steaming cups of coffee. "You have it bad, girlie. And you have for _years_ now, even if you deny it. I grew up with you two; I know damn well what I saw!"

Grumbling, Pacifica took an angry drink from her cup, mumbling, "yeah, yeah, whatever."

"But!" The blonde found Mabel's finger now a scant inch from her small nose. "But! We have to talk about how we are gonna knock Dippers socks off! And maybe about how you'll go and get your rocks off-"

"Oh, would you _shut up_!?" Pacifica threw a wadded up napkin at her, bouncing off of the grinning girls forehead.

Giggling even harder, Mabel did her best to suppress the snorts and guffaws. Finally, she calmed enough to lean forward conspiratorially. "So, Paz... Here's what we're gonna do. Dipper won't even know what hit him!"

 _ **Break**_

She was sixteen, running through the woods, Dippers hand desperately clutching hers so that they didn't get separated. Behind them, the mad beast, crashing through the trees and underbrush just behind them, snorted and snarled it's displeasure, roaring a challenge to the sky.

"Just a bit more, Paz!" His panting breath was harsh against the forest air, like a fire was burning through his lungs and trying to break out. "Just a little more!"

She, on the other hand, was far more well paced, her lithe form used to running for fitness- not for escaping some demon creature in the woods, but it would do. "Whatever, dork; just run faster! Your plan doesn't work if we get crushed to death first!"

She could _hear_ the shit eating grin spreading across his face. "Scared, Paz?"

"I'm gonna trip you and leave you for the beast, you fucking moron!"

"You _are_ scared!"

She would have smacked him for his impertinence, but the snarling was _right behind her_ , breathing down her sweat streaked neck and blowing into her hair. Instead, she pushed herself forward, leveling with the smirking _asshole_ who was clutching her hand. "I am much too pretty to die, so you better fucking _move it_ , Pines!"

"On three!"

She groaned, knowing what was coming up.

"Two!"

The animal behind her was gaining ground, feet pounding the forest floor eagerly, almost _tasting_ blood from behind her blonde locks.

"One! _**Jump!**_ " She brought her lead leg forward, pushing off the ground with an ease brought from desperation. She sailed through the air over an unassuming patch of forest floor, hoping that her leap was far enough. She never let go of Dippers hand, clutching at it so hard that she thought she felt his bones creak beneath her fingers. They landed on the other side, the uneven stride causing them to stumble and fall in a heap together. Their eager would be predator charged forward, roaring at them, saliva dripping from sharp fangs-

The ground beneath it gave way. With a surprised yelp sound, the beast fell into the pit that they had dug and covered over, leaves falling all around as it landed with an ungainly thud.

"That was... a really... _stupid_ plan, Dip." He laughed, still entangled together in a pile of limbs and flyaway hair.

"Hey, you said you wanted me to start running, right?"

"For your health, you fucking dweeb!" She really did hit him this time, smacking his shoulder with as much force as she could muster from the poor angle she was in. He chuckled, so it wasn't enough. "So that, the next time you do stupid shit like this, you have a better chance as not ending up a bloodstain on the floor!"

"Where's the fun in that?"

She made a strangled screaming noise, wondering if she could get her hands around his throat from where she was.

"Great job, dudes!" They turned to see Wendy striding along nonchalantly, axe held over one shoulder, her hair in a loose ponytail as she strode to them. Along the way, she casually chopped her axe into a rope that was obscured by one of the trees around them, causing the net in the middle of the pit to tighten up and then pull up, brining the animal that was chasing them up ungracefully, struggling in the heavy duty net. "Well, don't you two look cozy," she teased as she got to them. She offered a hand.

Dipper took it, pulling himself up, and taking Pacifica with him, the two dusting off all the leaves now attached to their clothes. As they turned and meandered to the tent, Wendy continued. "So, what exactly is this thing, anyway?" It was a squat creature with a long tail and powerful legs, each ending in a three clawed foot. It's head was lizardlike, a short jaw filled with sharp teeth, a forked tongue slipping through the bright green scales that made up its lips. It hissed at them, although the effect was lessened by how it's tail, seemingly with a mind of its own, was currently smacking it in the face.

"Well, whatever it is, it's mean and ugly and I don't like it," sulked Pacifica from her position safely away from the net and the struggling creature.

"I think it's some kind of wyrm or ground wyvern. They usually dwell closer to the mountains, but this one wandered down here and started hinting a ranchers cows. Good thing we got to him before he got shot, huh?"

"Yeah, great. Next time, don't use me as bait, okay?"

Wendy threw her arms around the twos shoulders, the axe now leaning against a tree nearby. "Ahh, cmon, dude, you loved it! Action, adventure, awkward sweaty hand holding? That's, like, the perfect Pine Tree date night!" She threw back her head and laughed at her own joke, Dipper doing his best to sink into himself while Pacifica blushed heavily, turning away so that the other two wouldn't see. She was muttering under her breath about how this very much was _not_ a date, thank you very much, when Wendy continued, drowning her out. "Nah, you guys did awesome. Alright, let's load up this bad boy into Soos' pickup and drive it home!"

Laughing, Wendy ran off, grabbing the discarded axe and loping off to where the beat up Chevy was hidden.

"Hey, Paz," Dipper said quietly, still looking at the struggling reptile instead of her.

"Yeah?"

"After this is through, do you wan-"

 _ **Crash**_

Pacifica fell down, landing on her rear, hitting the dirt of the road with enough force to daze her for a moment. _That's what you get for daydreaming,_ she mused. She struggled to her feet. "I'm, like _so sorry,_ I didn't see where I was-"

"It's cool, Paz," said Wendy, the flannel clad girl looking none the worse for wear for Pacifica barreling in to her on her nightly jog. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," she said. She shook her head in order to clear it, distractedly wiping some dirt from her running clothes. "Why are you...?" She made a flailing gesture towards the darkening woods, feeling just a bit out of her depth while she was thus rattled.

"I'm on my way home, chick. Got done at the Shack, now I'm gonna buzz out, you know?"

Pacifica, in fact, did _not_ know, but she nodded nonetheless. "Oh. That's... Good. That's... Yeah."

Wendy gave a bemused smile to the younger girl, taking a small, perverse pleasure in seeing her so flustered just by her mere presence. "Yeah. Real good. Well, night, Paz. I'll see you tomorrow for the pig bash, yeah?"

"Y-yeah, I'll be there."

"Great! See ya," she said, starting to move back down the path that she was going before Pacifica had bumped her.

Now, Pacifica had expected to feel something upon seeing the girl. Anger, hatred, jealousy. Hell, even some envy or misappropriated hormonal flashes. Instead, she was just... There. Maybe a bit of shock at literally running into her, but that was it. Watching her back as she walked away, though, the Northwest felt a need to do... _something_!

"I... I know what you're doing, Wendy."

Apparently, that _something_ was being a complete and total fucking idiot, despite her better judgement. The Corduroy stopped, turning halfway to entreat the girl with a sly smile.

"Oh? And what, exactly, am I doing, Paz-Paz?" Now _there_ was the anger, however muted; she only allowed Mabel (and that, begrudgingly) to call her that diminutive. The redhead crossed her arms under her chest and waited.

"You're... You're going after Dipper. You're gonna chew him up and spit him out, just like with every other boy you got your claws into."

"Am I, now?" Wendy raised an eyebrow delicately at her, a small, dangerous _something_ crossing her gaze.

Picking up steam despite herself, the blonde continued. "Yeah. Yeah! Ive seen it a dozen times, and that's only when I cared to look. Dipper deserves better than that, better than what you would do! I won't... I won't let him hate this place because of _you!"_ The venom in her voice took the Corduroy aback for a moment, but she retaliated quickly.

"I'm gonna fuck him up, huh? Chew him up and spit him out? Girl, you're out of your blondie mind. Know what I think? I think little Miss Northwest wants the one thing she can never have so _badly_ that she'll use me as an excuse for it." Her arms uncrossed, and she strode towards the smaller girl with purpose. In her defense, Pacifica didn't flinch or back down, merely locking eyes with her opponent. "How did it feel, watching him grow up and knowing that he was _just_ out of your greedy little reach? Seeing him become the best man you've ever known, and knowing that you would never be _good enough_ for him?"

Despite herself, Pacifica felt hot, angry tears prick at her eyes as the taller girl unknowingly spoke the words that had haunted her sleep. She didn't answer, biting her lip to ground herself, to not sob like some stupid little girl.

"That's what I _thought_ ," Wendy said, victorious. She smirked, turning to walk away.

"It feels bad," said Pacifica. The retreating girl stopped, but didn't turn around. "It feels like I'm always scrabbling and trying my hardest to be better than what my parents made me. If feels like I'm always not good enough for Dipper, or Mabel, or Soos, or even you. For anyone at all, actually. And it feels like I'm trying. I'm trying so _fucking hard_ , Wendy. And I'm never going to stop trying. And I'm going to be good enough, because I _refuse_ to let you hurt him. I'm beautiful, I'm still rich, and I'm his best friend. I _know_ him, and I know what he likes in a girl. You won't win," she finished, voice ending on a strong note.

She couldn't see it, but Wendy was smiling, as if she was relishing the challenge. She didn't know exactly _when_ Dipper had become some sort of prize, but she was a Corduroy. She refused to lose. "Good. Good to see that fight I knew you had in you, Pazzy. But you've got one thing going against you that you can't beat, little girl."

Pacifica raised her head high, glaring into the red mane that was mocking her from scant feet away. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Wendy's grin widened. "I'm Wendy _fucking_ Corduroy!"


	8. Daydreams and Pig Oil

The grave was mere artifice. A hollow shell buried into cold dirt for people to weep over.

 _Ford would have hated it,_ thought Dipper, but he kept that to himself. Around him, a few dozen friends and family clustered around the grave; some were crying, some weren't. He got the distinct impression that they didn't really mean it, their grief. After all, Ford Pines had, technically, not existed until five years ago. The fact that an old man was dead had little bearing on these people.

 _They didn't know him. How could they?_

Besides him, some of the only real _grief_ at the funeral was Mabel. His sister was clutching to his hand, tears spilling down her face like a flood. He'd never even seen her so sad before, and he didn't blame her. These people, they didn't _understand?_

How could they?

How could they even begin to _fathom_ what it took, to stare utter annihilation in the face and not flinch? To place your trust so thoroughly in the brother you hadn't seen in decades and the family you didn't know you had, so that they could thwart the apocalypse?

Ford Pines was a hero, and they didn't even have a body to inter into the cruel earth. His corpse was out at sea, somewhere.

On his other side, Soos, Wendy, Melody and Pacifica, along with a few other Gravity Falls citizens, stood in relative silence. Soos was bawling, face thrown into Melodys shoulder as she comforted him with soft words. Wendy had watery eyes, but she spared him a smile. Pacifica had a stoic look upon her face, but her clenched fist were shaking at her side.

 _Is it raining?_ No, the sky was incongruously bright for such a somber day. He was crying, he realized, tears streaming down his face, hot and angry, at a similar rate to Mabel's. His great uncle had saved the whole world from death, destruction, and insanity, and the only people that cared- or even _pretended to_!- were the thirty seven people huddled around the unworthy pile of dirt, like they were burying some forgotten pauper.

On a rigged up video screen, ugly wires running to a power generator quietly chugging away, Stanley Pines appeared on a grainy video fees, Fez on his gray head as he awkwardly spoke about his dead brother. "Ford was... God, I'm not good at this crap... Ford was my best friend. Twins, ya know? And, yeah, he could a big pain in my... Yup. He was..."

The feed cut out for a second, static cutting the air. Reappearing, Stan seemed a bit more composed. His Fez was now in his hands, eyes downcast. "Ford was the bravest of us. Saved the world, even if it was his fault. His stupid, stupid fault... Yeah. My brother, he made up for every mistake that either of us ever made. And... Thank you all for coming here. Especially because I can't myself. We were all family, and that's what matters most."

There was a respectful silence following Stan quieteing down, broken only by muffled sobs and the gentle breeze that carried the generators whines.

"Again, thank you, everyone. I'll... Try to come back as soon as I can, but there are a few things around here that I need to finish. I'm not sure how long, though. Goodbye," he finished gruffly, cutting the video feed before anyone could see the wetness in his eyes.

And that was it. Stan was the last speaker for the funeral, the rest having already spoken their piece. It didn't feel like enough.

He wasn't sure what was, though.

He walked Mabel back to the car, guiding her because she could barely see through her unstoppable tears. Pacifica, Soos and Wendy followed them, and no words were needed.

They parted, soft hugs and whispered goodbyes seeing them off. Afterall, wouldn't he see them in a few weeks?

Of course, he didn't. He spent that summer in California, Gravity Falls relegated to his dreams, and the people in it to small messages and phone calls when they got the chance to speak.

When their parents finally learned about what happened in that town after Stan's funeral, they refused to let them back. It took months and _months_ of cajoling to let them come back.

Much, much too long.

 _ **Break**_

He woke up gently, at least in comparison to the last few days. His eyes fluttered, but he still felt that all consuming _exhaustion_ that he had become inundated with over the last three days.

 _Three days_.

He wasn't back in Gravity Falls for a week, and already something was trying to kill him. Or whatever was happening. Either way, he was irked.

Mabel flounced in, whistling to herself and being _entirely_ too pleased with herself. "Dipper, it's Pig day!"

He groaned, throwing his pillow at her. She responded by jumping on him, cackling gleefully as all the air in his lungs left in a big _whoosh_. "Pig Day! Pig Day! Pig Day!" She bounced around excitedly, grabbing his arms and moving them as if he just didn't care. "Dipper! Waddles is gonna be here!"

"Yes," he said shortly, taking the respite to gulp in precious oxygen. "In three hours, Mabel. _Three hours!"_ The final exclamation was paired with him pushing the smiling brunette off of his bed, and then swinging his legs down to the floor besides her. Mabel was back up and dancing around before he was even up from bed. Despite his exhaustion, he smiled at her enthusiasm. "Well, c'mon, sis. Let's finish getting ready."

She hugged him, momentarily lifting up and spinning him around in an impressive display of strength. Putting him down, her expression softened a bit. "How did you sleep?" He caught the edge of worry in her voice.

"It was better tonight," he lied.

Of course, he was horrible at lying. "What was it about?"

"Ford's funeral," he admitted bluntly. She winced sympathetically. She was crying for two weeks after it. "But, hey! No screams this time. Maybe it's getting better."

She didn't look convinced, but pressed on nevertheless. "Of course! Now, let's get you some coffee, Bro-Bro!"

"Oh, thank God!"

 _ **BREAK**_

Of course they couldn't transport Waddles on the bus with them. Public transportation, even the Greyhound, doesn't deal in animals at all, let alone several hundred pounds of squealing porcine.

So, arranged by their parents (who were thankful not to deal with Mabel's strange pet anymore, thank you _very much_ ), a friend of theirs was transporting Waddles with the use of his horse trailer, the well trained porker not making much of a fuss on the trip, thankfully. It would be rather hard to stop a full grown house-pig if he decided to be unpleasant.

The Shack was lit up for a party, albeit for a gigantic pig- streamers, lights, a karaoke table with garish Christmas lights surrounding it, food and drink for the two dozen or so guests ("Who doesn't love my baby? He's the _adorablest_ animal EVER!"), and a gigantic mud pit, dug by Dipper over the course of four hours. All in all, it was a sight to see. Surely, it would be the greatest day, thus far, of Waddles' life.

And if you had told Pacifica Northwest even a week ago that she would be _excited_ for a party for a filthy pig, she might just have slapped you for impertinence. But, regardless, there she was. Dressed up... Or, down, she supposed, in a decently ratty pair of jeans and a t-shirt- per Mabel's orders, seeing as getting mud everywhere was going to be par for the course for a _Pig Day Party_ , she was all ready to do whatever it was you were supposed to do at a party dedicated to future bacon.

More importantly, she was ready to do all of those things with Dipper Pines in tow. No longer denying the oddly accelerated attraction she felt for the boy ( _I'm probably tired of watching him leave every summer,_ she mused), she was preparing her A Game, because the stakes were high, at least in her mind.

Arriving a few minutes before the truck with Waddles was supposed to arrive, the party seemed to already be in a certain kind of swing. Various townspeople milled about, sharing drinks and laughter about their lives, many of the stories involving the Pine Twins, who had most certainly ingratiated themselves irreparably into the fabric of Gravity Falls. But Pacifica passed them by, sparing nods and smiles to the people she was friendly with- and a big high five to Soos, who ruffled her hair in passing. Finally, her quarry neared.

She found Dipper sitting in the shade of a tree, back to the old oak, head resting gently against it with his eyes closed. As she walked closer, delicately stepping over his legs, he smiled. "Hey, Paz."

"Thought you were asleep," she admitted, sitting down next to him, shoulders touching.

"Nah. Sleep and me aren't on speakng terms right now."

"Oof," she sympathised. "Still, huh? It's only a few more days until you can see the Multibear again, right?"

"Yeah. I just really, _really_ hope that I can get some sleep before I collapse from exhaustion. This sucks, Paz."

She nodded sympathetically, resting her head on his shoulder. "So go to sleep, right here. Maybe it'll work better with someone next to you, this time? I mean, they haven't been as bad as the first one."

He glanced at her sidelong, admiring her long, golden locks. "Aren't you, ya know... Scared?"

"And why would I be scared, Dipper Pines?" He couldn't see, but she was smiling at the proximity. He felt _good_ , just sitting near him. It occurred to her that maybe Mabel was right, when she said that Pacifica "Had it bad".

"Because last time I almost hurt you, Paz," he said darkly, but she could hear the drowsiness in his voice already winning through.

She simply snuggled in closer to him, and he rested his head upon hers, one arm reaching up to bring her in closer, despite himself. "I trust you, Dip. Best friend, remember?"

"Yeah. Love you too, Pazzy," he said sleepily, and she grinned.

"Sleep, Dip. You'll feel better after a nap."

He didn't answer, but his breathing evened out, the steady rise and fall of his chest in the summer sun a soothing lullaby to the blonde. She smiled, bringing one hand around to gently rest upon his chest.

 _Mabel was right,_ she thought. _The first step was a success._ But the thoughts were drowned out by a deep seated contentment she felt rising within her, a warmth that spread from every point of contact with the sleeping boy. She slept.

 _ **Break**_

"Okay, so I have a plan, Paz. For how you get Dipper all wrapped around your little finger and lovey-dovey, okay?"

The blonde nodded for her to continue, and Mabel obliged. "Dipper, he's never been all smooth with the _ladies_ , you know? He's had one kinda sort of maybe girlfriend, and she was, like, a total crazy nut job psycho bitch. I think she started talking about marriage on their second date, and they were fifteen. And whenever he tried to ask out a girl, he got all nervous and sweaty and junk, so he got laughed at a bunch, too. So he's all super mega awkward and probably won't take well to the direct approach, you know?" Pacifica _did_ know, seeing as she had been kept up to date on these incidents as they had happened, thanks to Mabel's near constant phone presence in her life-size Dippers follies being a favored subject of hers, of course. She continued, "so, I was thinking-"

"Isn't that dangerous for you?" Pacifica snidely interjected, though the jibe was undercut by her warm smile.

"Probably!" The girl conceded, taking another sip of her fruity drink. "So, as I was saying, I think that you need to take a flanking approach, girlie. Get yourself in under his blind spots! Be all subtle and gentle with him, don't spook him too soon with your alpha Northwest attitude. I'd say go for some cuddle time with him first- nothing huge, just help him nap, maybe. He's been having a lot of trouble sleeping, and maybe it will help him," she said with a bit of worry, her brothers condition being a bit of a sore spot for her. She perked up, "after that, just continue, slowly amping it up until you get your super awesome romantical kiss!"

"Sounds like a plan, Mabel." The blonde took another drink of coffee, surreptitiously looking around Mary's Hideaway for any telltale signs of Ginger. "How long do you think it will take? I only have three days until my parents come back, and I'd like to get to the good part before I have to deal with them trying to hook me up with some rich guys loser son."

"Probably about two weeks," Mabel admitted. "I mean, you could also throw him on the bed and ride him until he loves you. I hear that it works," she teased.

"You'd love that, you filthy pervert," she shot back.

"I cannot confirm or deny these accusations," she said in a faux government agent voice, putting a finger to her ear like she was talking into a headset.

"Seriously, what is it with you and trying to get your brother laid?"

"Isn't that what sisters are supposed to do?" She sounded genuinely bewildered.

"No!"

"Well, how would you know?"

"Because I... Ugh!" Mabel laughed at her. Pacifica muttered dire threats rudely into her drink.

 _ **Break**_

He was awoken by screaming. Thankfully, it wasn't his.

" _WADDLES!"_ Yup, that was Mabel. Beside him, Pacifica stirred, an arm clutched at his chest. He idly wondered how her hair smelt so good. He then decided that thinking about that was a bit creepy, so he abstained.

The pickup drove in, turning to allow the horse trailer room enough for the doors to open. The driver, a tall Hispanic looking fellow with a cowboy hat on, leapt out of his idling truck and swung the doors wide. Once again, Mabel screamed aloud, **"WADDLES!"**

In answer, a loud and deep squeal came from within the trailer as the pig- big, pink, and full of energy- came sprinting out of the back, hooves clanking on the metal as he drove face first into the mud pit, causing a great splash that managed to soak a few nearby onlookers. Mabel dived in right after him, laughing and screaming joyously as she was reunited with her pet, wrestling and rolling in the mud with him. Finally, covered head to toe in mud, she hugged him around the neck, arms almost not reaching all the way around. Her mantra, "Waddles! Waddles! Waddles!", was drowned out by cheering from the crowd.

After all, Mabel Pines was the town darling, and anything that made her happy like this was a cause for celebration. Dipper smiled at her from behind slightly bloodshot eyes, lamenting his ruined nap. At least he felt more rested now.

"The pig is here, isn't he," said a sleepy voice next to him.

"Yeah. Happy Pig Day!"

"Ugh. Did you sleep long?"

He checked his phone, awkwardly fishing it from his pocket without breaking body contact with the heiress. "Maybe twenty minutes? It was refreshing. Thanks, Pacifica," he said gratefully.

She blushed prettily, smiling into his shoulder. "Anytime, Dork. Consider me as an alternative to screaming nightmares, huh?"

He laughed at her joke, ruffling her hair fondly. "C'mon, Paz. Let's go wrestle a pig, or whatever."

 _ **Break**_

As Waddles happily mucks about in his impromptu pig pen, Soos hawked various niceties and oddities from the Shack, in true Mister Mystery fashion. Beside him, Wendy lounged against one of the drink tables, casually sipping at a beer that she had convinced Mabel to allow in- it wasn't as if Sheriff Blubs was going to stop her, after all. She had been half eyeing the dozing pair of Dipper and Pacifica, until they had gotten up on their own with the arrival of the star pig. Even given her strange competition with Pacifica with the boy that they both (kinda sorta) wanted, she wasn't enough of a bitch to begrudge the boy a nap when he had scarcely slept the past three days.

"Hey, Soosical?"

"What's up, dudette?" He looked up from the small money box that had a respectable haul within it.

"What do you think of those two?" She pointed to the blonde, who was standing just a bit _too_ close to Dipper. _Not that he seems to mind,_ she thought with a hint of bitterness that surprised even her. Wasn't he supposed to be, like, her kinda sorta baby brother? _Guess not anymore_. No matter what happened, Pacifica managed to fuck it up for both of them.

"What, Northwest and Dip? I guess they're kinda cute and junk. Kinda skeeves me though, ya know?"

"Skeeves you? How so, boss man?"

"Well, she's, like, his super best friend, right? They've done almost everything together, and stuff. Maybe they're just, ya know, _too_ close for dating things and junk."

"Wise words, Soos."

"I got it all from Abuelita," he said proudly.

"And me!" Reminded Melody as she came up behind him, carrying a plate loaded with hot dogs from the grill. She put it down on the table before ducking into his side, and he dropped an arm around her shoulder.

"And Melody," Soos amended, kissing the top of her head. "But, yeah Dudette, I can only believe that Dipper and Pacifica would have an unhealthy relationship were they to actually date. Although, to be fair, my only real relationships thus far have been my beautiful fiance, and a electronic terror ghost spawned from a video game cartridge. I am no expert," he concluded.

"Scoping the competition, Wen?" Melody giggled at her, the heavier girl smiling slyly at the ginger.

"I wouldn't call it competition," she lied smoothly. "Just watching out for my bro, ya know?"

"Don't trust the littlest Northwest?"

Wendy considered this for a moment. Her and Pacifica had fought together in a giant robot, formed a Zodiac circle to defeat an evil triangle, and been on decently friendly terms until rather recently. _Must be hormones_ , she thought. "I trust her to act in her own best interest," she replied carefully. "Not necessarily in Dippers, though. I just... I don't want him to get hurt."

"Ummm-Hmmm," snarked Melody, and Soos chuckled from next to her. "Sure you don't."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Melody only smiled wider, eyes twinkling. In response, Wendy just huffed, "yeah, whatever. C'mon, Soos. It's almost our turn to wrestle Waddles." The big man grinned, giving Melody a sweet kiss on the lips before leaving her to man the cash box.

"Let's see if we can't beat Mabel's title, dude!"

"Yeah, let's rock this pig!" Joking and laughing, the two long time friends meandered over to the mud pit, Waddles and Mabel- both covered in mud and making happy noises- still inside of it after almost an hour or two. "Hey, Mabes! Did you see where Dipper went to? I think he was supposed to tag team with me!"

"Pacifica took him somewhere, I think. But I've been busy with _Waddles!"_ At her exclamation of his name, she dove back onto the pig, bowling the happy animal over. From... Somewhere, she pulled a fresh apple, feeding it to the snorting pig. "So they're gonna be doing whatever whatever, you know? It's whatever! Come wrestle! The mud's nice and cool!"

"Maybe later, Mabe-Girl. I gotta run and ask your bro something first. Be right back!" She took off towards the Shack, figuring that they were inside.

She didn't see Mabel's slightly furrowed brow as she replied, "okay, I guess," to her retreating back. Brightening, she watched as Soos stripped down out of his Mister Mystery suit, leaving him in only his undershirt and skivvies.

"Like, cowabunga, hambone!"

Wendy passed through the threshold, listening for the tell tale signs of awkward youth as the sounds of the party outside was muted by the closing door. She hadn't seen the two potential lovebirds out among the revelers, so she was hoping that she could catch them here and ask Dipper... Something. She really didn't have much of a plan, beyond "Show up, be awesome, dazzle Dipper". To be fair, it had always worked in the past.

Quietly, she slipped around corners, ears straining...

Ahah!

"So, I was, like, wondering if you wanted to, you know, go out tomorrow or something? I figure that we could relax, maybe help you nap if tonight is just as bad as the last few nights." Pacifica's voice drifted out from the kitchen, and Wendy molded herself silently to the wall, thanking her father for survival training all the while.

Dipper yawned, his voice a sleepy counterpoint to the blondes nervous speech. "Yeah, sure. We could get together around noon, I guess. That work?"

"Perfect! I'll swing by here around then, alright?"

"Yeah, sure. Alright, we've hid in here long enough; let's go socialize and whatever."

She heard the scraping of chairs on linoleum, and she rapidly made herself scarce. But she was grinning to herself. She could use this. Turn it around on the pissant blonde who had decided to make an enemy of her.

 _Perfect. Game on, little girl._


	9. I won't win, but you will lose

The hissing steam and falling water beat a soothing tattoo upon her tanned skin, must and dust sloughing off in layers, like the shed skin of a snake.

 _I would be the cutest snake,_ Mabel mused. She raised her arms over head, making a hissing noise through her teeth, wriggling her butt as if she were slithering through grass.

Abandoning her newfound snake identity, she ran hands through mud streaked hair, watching as the water slurried away, brown and dirty, into the shower drain. _Waddles you filthy porker! I'll be in the shower for hours!_

It was just past midnight, the Pig Day Party having been a rousing success, even if she hasn't been able to get Pacifica to wrestle the pig alongside Dipper. _Win some, lose some_ , she thought with a smile. She had noticed how Paz was acting all cozy with her brother, and it made her just a little bit giddy- well, giddyer than usual, at least. She had been waiting for a Paz-Dipper romantic liaison since, like, forever! It was all so _exciting!_

 _Maybe they'll kiss? Maybe I can_ see them _kiss! Ohmigosh, maybe I can get a_ _ **picture**_ _for my scrapbooks!_

She hugged herself, arms reaching around her back almost all the way around. She felt all warm and fuzzy, almost as if she was wearing her favorite sweater, the with a llama and a pine tree on it- not that she was biased or anything, of course.

 _How could this go wrong?_

 _ **Break**_

 _Do I really want to do this?_

Wendy was in the Shack, quiet as a mouse. It was her day off, but here she was, stalking Dipper Pines like she was a jealous ex-girlfriend. She checked her phone again, and the time was 11:53 AM.

 _You can still stop, girl. It doesn't have to be like this._

She steeled herself, back straight and eyes forward, pushing in the door into the kitchen, straight into the path of Dipper Pines. The brunet boy was silently reading from his refurbished and rewritten from memory Pine Tree Journal. He had poured his heart and soul into the book, unleashing a passion that sometimes left her dizzy. "What's up, Wen?" He asked without even looking up at her.

This was the crucial part, where it could all come together or fall apart through her grasping fingers. But she was a Corduroy, raised by Manly Dan, and she knew what had to be done.

" _When hunting, you must strike hard, all of your force into a single blow! Find the heart and_ _ **tear it out!**_ "

Here was her prey, and she the huntress. She swallowed quickly, and the game was afoot.

She smiled, all nonchalance and easy posture. "Came to check in, dude. Home's boring, and my favorite nerd happens to be at my place of employment, dig?"

He finally looked up, flashing a sad smile to her. "Sorry, Wendy. I'm hanging with Pacifica soon. She'll be here any minute, actually." Of course she would be. Years of upper class breeding and etiquette didn't allow her to be late- something that the ginger haired girl was banking on.

"You've been hanging with her a lot, lately, dude. No time for your favourite Corduroy?"

"What? No way, man! We can hang out whenever," he exclaimed. We're he less sleep deprived, he would have brought up that they had hung out twice over the course of the past four days, which was quite adequate, normally.

"Are you sure, dude?" She could almost feel the panic inducing guilt eating at him, saw it in the widening of his eyes, the gulping motions of his throat as it dried. He was terrified that he would lose her- terror brought on by years of loneliness and regret, and by days of nightmares and restless, sleepless nights. "Like, are you really, _really_ sure?" With each word she advanced upon him, spooking the poor boy out of his seat and towards the corner of the room, eyes wide, his head shaking back and forth in a "No, No," motion. "Totally... Sure?"

His back hit the wall with a thud, and he was trapped like an animal. She was grinning from behind her downcast gaze, hair haloing around her head.

From within her, reason; _You can stop this. Right now. It can stop._

"Are you choosing Pacifica over me, Dipper?" Her voice was a whisper, and she barely heard herself over the pounding of blood rushing through her ears, and her face was red and her breath was short, and she didn't know if she hated herself for doing this, or loved the feeling of sheer _power_ she held right now. She could conquer the world, she could solve every problem with a snap of her fingers. She was beautiful and graceful and terrible a at once, a Queen, a Goddess-!

 _Stop!_

She didn't.

"Of c-c-course not! You're my-"

"You're what?" Her voice was harsh, and her face was scant _inches_ from his, his rapid, scared breath mingling with her easy, deep exhalations. It was intoxication. She reach out and _take him_ , and have him forever.

Right here.

Right now.

"My... My Wendy," he said, and his voice was so small and lost and sweet, and her heart _broke_ into a million infinitesimal pieces.

 _I'm a monster,_ she realized, but her body was far from listening to her conscience by now, an instinctual set of orders from before she was even born- from a time when humanity was naught but mere apes running scared on the Savannah. Her hand was gently cupping his cheek, and from far away she heard the turning of the door, and the soft chattering of Mabel and Pacifica as they meandered into the Shack, towards the kitchen where they knew Dipper was-

Poor, sweet Dipper.

 _Stop this,_ she pleaded to herself, but she wasn't even sure if she wanted to stop anymore. This feeling, it was adrenaline and endorphins and _sex_. Her knees almost quivered, and she felt the urge to moan and scream in ecstacy. But she didn't.

His eyes darted to the doorway, where, at any moment, the girls would come through and _see this_ , whatever it was, whatever sacrilege she was committing upon him.

"That's right," she purred, and she felt like a slut. "I'm your _Wendy_ ," she murmured into his ear with conviction, and at that moment, when the footsteps of her friend and enemy converged upon the doorway and she knew that there was no turning back.

Her father's voice came to her again, _"Find what makes them weak, and utterly dominate it. Take it from them, and they can't oppose you!"_

She grabbed Dipper by the back of the head and she **kissed** him as hard as she could, tongue forcing it's way into his stricken mouth, a moan finally escaping her throat as she felt something that wasn't quite victory well up within her breast.

Dipper kissed her back, panicked eyes betraying him, shoulders slumping in defeat that he didn't know he could experience as the most beautiful girl he knew kissed him like she was going to die if she didn't.

Or, maybe, that he was.

The gasp that sounded from the doorway- a tandem, breathless exhalation of disbelief, didn't surprise the Corduroy girl. This was her plan.

To make Pacifica witness what she was. _A monster_ , she thought.

No. A _victor_.

She refused to lose. Even if it meant destroying what they were fighting for. She didn't need to turn around to know that Pacifica had dropped whatever was in her hands- the shattering of glass clued her in. And she didn't need to turn around to see the welling of tears- anger, jealousy, _defeat_ \- that threatened to spill out of the blondes eyes as her petty world came crashing down, sundered by a stolen kiss and a ginger mane. Pacifica ran, and it was a victory that Wendy felt to her core, a burning wave that crashed right down to her nether, leaving her weak and sopping.

She hated herself, right then. She stopped kissing Dipper, leaving him weak and breathless against the wall. He looked shell shocked, eyes misfocused as he slowly slid down the wall, hands grasping at nothing. Maybe it was to pull her back to him.

Maybe to bring back Paz. It didn't matter anymore.

 _Victory,_ she thought to herself bitterly.

"What did you **do!?** "

 _I won._

"I showed her how I play " she whispered, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Mabel at all, to see tears brimming up as her family shattered around her. There was a broken vase covering the floor, pretty lilies and dirty water covering the tile. Pacifica must have brought it for _Mabel_ , because of course she did.

"Is this a fucking _game_ to you?" The brunette was right up in her face, and however much taller Wendy really was didn't matter when she felt like the scum beneath her boots. "Is my family a motherfucking **game** , Wendy?!"

"No," she admitted, gaze still upon the slowly dying flowers. "I wish it wasn't like this, Mabes."

"So do I." The girl looked conflicted, not sure wether to run after Pacifica, or go to the near comatose Dipper. After a moment, she decides to follow the girl running blindly into the dangerous woods, casting one last, longing gaze at her brother, and a venemous glare at Wendy.

Wendy felt hollow. _Victory,_ she thought numbly. _I saved Dipper._ Still, she was here, now. She had to finish it.

"Hey, Dip," she said, sitting down beside him. He didn't answer.

She expected that. _After all, I just..._

What **had** she done to him? Assaulted him, violated him?

She pushed past it; it was either all in, or all for nothing. "You know, I like you, dude. Like, a lot. And, I'm sorry for being all, ya know, super alpha bitch on you, but. Yeah. I'd like it, if we could see more of each other." _A lot more,_ she thought uncharitably to herself. Beside her, he nodded.

"Sure, Wendy," he said in a small voice. It wasn't what she wanted, but she could work past it.

"Great!" Her voice sounded too _loud_ in the awkward silence that had descended upon the Shack after her escapade. "I mean, yeah, dude. That would be awesome." She thought about kissing him on the cheek again, but thought better of it. Instead, she placed her hand on his, interlocking her fingers with his.

He squeezed, and that small comfort was enough to send sparks all along her spine, and a smile to her face.

 _I had to do this,_ she thought.

 _ **Break**_

Pacifica ran.

She could only see the fucking **kiss** , all white hot passion and forceful lips, lips taking away her best friend with every goddamn _microsecond_ that they stayed together. Red hair cascading over sheer beauty that she couldn't even begin to compete with.

Through brushes and branches, spiderwebs and nettles, she ran, and she curses to herself, because she was a _stupid, weak little girl_.

She wasn't supposed to be crying; Northwest's don't cry, but here she was with tears making ugly runnels down her face, but inside her mind, there was only fire.

The fire of hate, the fire of jealousy, and the fire red mane that mocked her as it stole away the only thing in life she wanted for herself.

" _I'm Wendy fucking Corduroy!"_ What had first sounded like a boast now echoed in on her, an affirmation of victory from a game that she was woefully underprepared to play.

Her legs gave out, and she was lost and alone, but she didn't care. She drew her scraped knees up under her chin, and all she could do was _weep_.

 _Nobody wants you, little girl._

 _Not even your best friend._

 _You lost, Northwest._

 _Stupid, scared little girl._

She sobbed, but she focused on the **anger** that ran riot under her skin. She _used_ it.

Grimly, she smiled, the tears slowly drying up.

 _You think you've won? As if I'd even consider giving up._

She heard Mabel, shouting her name and crashing through the woods after her, following the obvious trail she had left in her haste. She shouted an answer, waiting for her friend to find her.

 _As if I'd let you win._

She was swept up in a loud, sob filled hug as Mabel found her, the comfort from it warming her skin as, inside, her mind roiled, images of scarlet haired _whores_ pushing themselves on her friend dancing through her forebrain.

Mabel's platitudes were lost on her, the bright sun belieing the cruel turn the day had already taken. She was done running from the older girl, from her heartfelt feelings for the stupid, adorable dork, from _herself_. She was going to fight; to scream and claw and climb until she stood at the top once more. Where she would be happy and content and _loved_.

Where she would no longer be alone.

 _Game on, bitch._


	10. That Which Surely Does Not Forget

Dipper stayed slumped against the wall for almost an hour, his tired mind racing as he tried to parse what the _fuck_ was going on with his small, interconnected pseudo-family. His lips still felt the fire from Wendy's searing kiss, leftover electricity and shame warring upon his skin. He numbly pressed his fingers to them, dragging his digits across as if he could unlock the secrets if he only abused them enough.

Beside him, Wendy sat quietly, one hand delicately grasping at his left hand, fingers not quite intertwined with him- although he could tell she wanted to take that final step by the way her hand lightly twitched against his.

 _Why wouldn't she?_ His thoughts were a combination of bitterness and awe. _She's already taken so much liberty with me- why stop here?_

It was incongruous, the way she acted now- this girl, who had thrown him against the wall, forced her lips upon his, made Pacifica-

Pacifica.

He groaned, his free hand running through his hair as he remembered the _anguish_ upon her face.

She had strode in, smiling merrily, a vase filled with tiger-lillies, Mabel's favorite flower, clutched to her chest. She had seemed nervous, giddy-

 _She wanted this to be a date,_ he realized, and the thought struck him like a cannonball. _She wanted to be more._

So Wendy...?

"Why?" His voice was cracked and small, and the ginger almost jumped in surprise, shifting next to him.

"What?"

"Why, Wendy?" She flinched, his voice harsher than she was used to. His hand clenched harder against her- less a comforting grip, and more of a vice to keep her where she was. His eyes found hers, boring in, and she couldn't look away, trapped within the intensity.

"Because I like you, dude!" Her voice was fraught with the tiniest edge of panic, the same that she had inflicted upon him so callously earlier. "Because I want to be with you! Boyfriend and girlfriend, hug, kiss, and whatever else." She took forced, deep breaths, hoping to calm herself.

He sighed, loosing his hand around hers. She kept it there, taking comfort from the contact. "You really hurt Paz, Wendy. She didn't deserve that."

Her face, downcast from him, said that she believed she did, but when she looked up, ginger hair framing her pretty face, she merely smiled sadly. "I know, Dip. And, I'm, like, _really_ sorry about it. I just... I started, and I couldn't stop. I just had to... get it all out, you know? Before..."

She paused, looking thoughtfully. He leaned back, head resting against the wall once more, gazing at her sidelong. "Before what?" He prompted.

"Before someone else took you away," she said softly.

He didn't say anything, instead contemplating the sheer whirlwind of thought, emotions and ideas that now ran though his sleep addled mind. Seizing the opportunity, Wendy moved.

Still clutching his hand like a totem, she moved forward and around, until her knees were on either side of his feet, her chest leaning into his knees. Softly, she brought her free hand up, stroking his cheek tenderly, and she felt her heart swell when the tired boy _leaned_ into her touch. She said softly, "hey, hey," bringing her forehead up until it was almost touching his. He murmured sleepily, and the sound became a moan when she brought her fingers from stroking his cheek into stroking his soft hair.

"Hey, hey, Dipper. Hey," she cooed, slowly, gently bringing his head towards her.

"I don't know what to do, Wendy," he admitted softly, his breath playing against her lips like a symphony. She felt that familiar stirring, passion and power and _want_.

She smirked, and she knew that she was well and truly lost to this. "Just roll with it, dude."

"I'm not sure if I know how," he weakly joked.

"Like this," she breathed, and she kissed him again- a gentler beast all together, slow and languid, their lips melding like they were meant for it. He moaned softly, a deep ululation that started deep in his throat and rumbled, past his tongue and through her teeth and lips, a soothing vibration that made her eyelids flutter. After a moment, she broke the kiss. Quickly, she gave him another quick peck. His face followed after her briefly, like he didn't want the contact to end.

That was a good thing, in her mind.

"Like that, dude," she smirked at him, resting her butt on her feet as she knelt before him.

"Roll with it, huh?" His arms rose, grasping her by the forearms as he brought his knees under him, rising steadily until she was looking up at him.

She gulped, mouth abruptly growing dry as she saw the hungry look in his eye. It mirrored the look she had had not an hour ago.

" _Roll_ with it," he whispered, and she shivered down to her toes. She nodded, feeling very small, and he abruptly flipped her over, her back hitting the dirty floor as her hair haloed around her, her breath leaving her in a surprised gasp. He straddled her, knees coming up to her ribs as he leaned in, hands coming to cup her cheek and grasp at her left wrist.

"Roll with it," he repeated, and brought his lips down towards hers. She closed her eyes, whimpering in trepidation-

-and opened them again as he bit down on her neck, a lewd moan escaping her as her eyes rolled back in her head, every pinpoint of pressure sending waves of _want_ cascading through her. Her free hand came and gripped the back of his head, holding him close as his biting became deep kisses up her neck, kissing along her vein until he brought himself to her ear, latching on to the lobe there, biting and sucking with a gentle sort of _need_. She moaned again, loud and low and _dirty_.

"Uh, dudes? I can appreciate young love and junk, but, maybe, like, not in my kitchen?"

They sprang apart, panting, rapidly finding themselves backed into opposite corners of the room, deep blushes upon them as they panted in a combination of lust and shame. At the doorway, Soos stood with a broom and a slight frown that creased his forehead. "Sorry, bro," said Dipper, not able to look into either of their eyes.

"Yeah. Totally uncool of us, boss."

He waved his hand in a noncommittal gesture, moving close to start sweeping the shards of glass that both of them had been ignoring while they had sulked against the wall. "It's whatever, dudes. Just, like, get a room, I guess? One that isn't my kitchen, ya know?"

"Got it," they said at the same time, and the three shared a small chuckle that didn't really match the tone of the room.

Wendy shook her head, trying to clear it. It didn't work. She was drowning in... _something_. Hormones and lust clouded eyes. "Listen, I'm gonna beat it. Umm... Let's, like, meet up later, like, tomorrow, okay, dude? And, like... Talk, and stuff."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. See ya."

She smiled at him, waving to both men as she left the kitchen.

There was an awkward silence, broken only by Dippers still labored breathing and the _scritch, scritch, scritch_ of the broom as Soos swept up the broken glass and dead flowers. After a while, with Dipper still sitting in the corner in a strange sort of silent contemplation brought upon by overwhelming exhaustion and scalding pink lips. "Hey, dude?"

"Yeah, Soos?" His voice was soft and faraway.

"So, we're, like, total Pterodactyl Bros forever and junk, right?"

He smiled. "You know it, bro!"

Soos grinned. "Awesome! So, as your perenial Pterodactyl Bro and stuff, I have this to say: What the fuck, dude?"

Whatever words Dipper had been expecting, it wasn't that. Also, whatever words he had hoped to articulate were subsequently lost as well. "Bwarghhgh?" He ejaculated confusedly.

"Yeah, bro. You were, like, totally on Wendy, man. Like, all beast mode and shit. That isn't like you, dude."

Dipper shook his head, pushing himself up from the floor with a grunt. "It's been a really weird week, man," he defended weakly.

"It's Gravity Falls, bro. _Every_ week is a weird week." Dipper frowned.

"I guess you're right."

Soos sighed, sweeping the last of the debris into the bin. "Take a nap, bro. You need it."

"You know, I think you're right, Soos."

With a final parting fist bump, he went up to his room. He hoped to find at least _some_ rest there.

 _ **Break**_

When she was feeling stressed or saddened, Mabel knitted.

Now, that wasn't to say that she didn't knit at other points- the sheer _amount_ of sweaters that she had knitted over the years put paid to that idea.

However, as the purple fluffy sweater came together under her needles, fashionable shooting star logo emblazoned upon the front, she realized that this was _definitely_ a stress situation.

"Stupid bitch thinks she can win with a cheap blow like that? I'll show her. I won't let her win, I won't let her hurt my Dipper!"

Mabel sighed. That had been the gist of Pacifica's ranting for the past few hours. Sitting inside of her room in her empty house, the two had come here after wandering out of the forest, and Pacifica had... _broken_ , somehow. She sat, notebook upon her lap, pen in hand, furiously scribbling notes and plans and drawings.

"Paz...?"

"And if that stupid _whore_ thinks she can beat a Northwest at _anything,_ she has another fucking thing coming, I tell you..."

"Paz?"

"And another thing-!"

"Paz!"

" _What?!_ " Mabel resisted the urge to flinch, instead calmly putting aside her sweater to look at the formerly filthy rich blonde.

"Calm down, Paz," she said forcefully. Instead of lashing out as she had half expected, the blonde instead took on a thoughtful look.

"Ya know," she finally said, running a delicate finger along her chin, "when Mabel Pines tells you to calm down, you've probably hit rock bottom."

Mabel grinned, moving from her place in the soft, squishy armchair to sit down beside Pacifica on the bed. Throwing a companionable arm around her slender shoulders, the brunette idly leafed through Pacifica's notebook. It wasn't so much a cohesive plan as it was inane ramblings, several doodles of Wendy in various painful scenarios, and several paragraphs worth of planning that had been scribbled out. "Working hard, huh?"

"Goddamnit, Mabes," she said softly, running a hand through her silky hair. "I just wanted to help him sleep. Why did she...?"

Mabel heard the watery tone of her voice, and knew how much her friend hated for anyone to see her cry. Quickly pulling her into am embrace, she engulfed her friend in a hug as Pacifica buried her face into Mabel's shoulder, a few quick, shuddering sobs escaping her before she managed to calm down. Pacifica gave her a quick squeeze as a thank you to her, pulling back and rubbing her eyes free of any stray moisture.

"Thanks, Mabel."

"Any time, Pazzy Girl. Sooo... Did you have anything, like, concrete, or were you just imagining ways to make Wendy suffer?"

Blushing, the blonde said, "mostly that. I'm not thinking straight. Like, I should totally be planning on how to get Dipper out of her clutches, you know? Or something. It's all fucked and confused and I really don't know how this happened, Mabel."

"Hormones and true love?" Hazarded the twin, shrugging noncommittally to her.

"Fuck you. No, but... What the fuck?"

"Super articulate, Pazzy," teased Mabel. Pacifica pushed her off the bed, and she laughed as the twin bounced off the fluffy floor.

"Yeah, fuck you, bitch. But, for serious; I should be better than this. I shouldn't be outplayed by ginger McLumberbitch. I'm a Northwest! We're, well..."

"Spoiled? Maladjusted? Delirious?"

"I was gonna go with cunning, also, again, _fuck_ _you_."

Mabel bounced back onto the bed, pulling Pacifica into a sidelong hug, planting a wet kiss on her cheek. "Well, then let's get you back on that rich bitch track! Phhhfwahh!" She wasn't quite sure what that last noise was, but it seemed to fit the situation, so she rolled with it.

Pacifica giggled. "Thanks, Mabes. You're crazy and weird and look like you fell into a closet, but you're a great friend."

"You know- Hey! I'll have you know that I am _tres_ _fashionable_ ,y ou only wish you could pull his off! But, anyway, let's do this!" She placed the notebook on her lap, worrying at the pen. "So, Paz, I was thinking... Let's go for _simple_ , yeah?"

 _ **Break**_

"I'm telling you, Cummings was an absolute genius when it came to lyric and prose! A Living Dance was a quintessential masterpiece, and I won't hear a word against it!"

The blonde sitting next to him on the roof scoffed softly. She nudged his shoulder with her own, giggling softly when he turned to her with an affronted look. "I suppose that he's all fine and good if you enjoy grammatical errors and punctuation, but he's just like Wilde- all style, no substance. I mean, c'mon, what does the subject matter have to do with the discourse, when he jumps from love to forgetfulness to death in a single stanza? Weak, Dip."

" _Now_ who's the pleb, you uncultured swine!" He grinned loudly as he traced his fingers along her ribs, drawing a flare and a sharp laugh at the same time, sending her wriggling away from him.

"You common born mud slinger! Insulting such a noble beauty as me?"

"I insult that which does not know grace and greatfullness," he joked back.

"You sound like a shitty college version of Hamlet, you prick!" They both broke into giggles at the ridiculous wordplay they had shared.

"Love you, too," he smirked at her, and she turned away so that he wouldnt see her blush. "And, besides, _you're_ the one insulting my favorite poet."

"Only because you don't have the decency to choose a good one," she quipped.

"Says the girl that still has a Sev'ral Times poster on her wall," he teased, and this time her face _erupted_ in a deep red blush.

"You weren't supposed to see that," she muttered. Even more sofrly, she said to herself, "I was supposed to throw those away..." Partially regaining her composure, she got herself back on the correct footing, saying, "and that's besides the point! Whitman or Bukowski have all of the same esotericness, while still maintaining their grammatical integrity, _and_ while making sense!"

"Oh, please! I'll give you Whitman, but Bukowski only makes sense from the bottom of a bottle."

This time, she was the who pushed him, and she pushed much harder than he hard- he rolled hard, almost falling off the roof. " _Dipper!_ " She rushed towards the edge that he was precariously balanced on, hands desperately grasping at him and pulling him back to relative safety.

"Thanks for saving me from your own fuck up, Pazzy," he snarked at her. The sixteen year old girl smacked him, hard, on the chest, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline. For good measure, she started hitting him again, and then again in repitition at the positively _maddening_ boy.

"Shows me, you dick. Next time, I'll just let you fall off the fucking roof!"

He caught her flailing arms in his hands, gently, bringing her into a tight hug. "Thanks, Paz."

His words were soothing, and she relaxed. "Yeah, yeah. You're lucky you have a best friend like me, you dork."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Well, of course! I'm smart, popular, pretty, and I save you from your own stupidity! I mean, who else would put up with your positively _insulting_ views on twentieth century poets?"

"I think you mean, 'who else gives a shit about twentieth century poets?'", he smirked.

"That too, you fucking dweeb."

He laughed, tightening the hug for a moment before letting her go. She gave him a soft look, almost appraising him.

"Hey, Dipper?

"Dipper?"

"Dipper?"

" _Dipper?"_

 _"Dipper?"_

"Dipper!"

His eyes opened, bloodshot and confused. He was met by a sleek blonde mane, worriedly shaking him. "Paz," he greeted stiffly.

"You were having another nightmare," she said worriedly.

"It wasn't so bad," he answered truthfully. She was sat at the edge of his bed, one hand still gripping his shoulder softly. She smiled.

"That's good. Must have been about me," she joked.

"It was, actually," he answers truthfully, and she gave a tiny gasp, followed by a bright smile. He returned it for a moment, before his face furrowed. "Listen, Paz. I wanted to apologize, for earli-"

"Shhh," she said, placing a finger to his lips to silence him. "It's okay."

"No it isn't," he said from behind her finger. She glared at him lightly, but he merely took her hand in both of his, stroking either side with his thumbs. She turned her gave away so that he didn't see the way her eyes fluttered at the gesture. "I'm really, _really_ not sure what is going on between you and Wendy, and I don't like it, but I never wanted you to get hurt. Or Wendy either, but it's obvious that she really, _really_ hurt you when she kissed me."

Pacifica flinched slightly at the mention of the kiss, but she still came back with a smile. "I was just... Surprised, Dip. Like, who'd have thought, right? It's all whatever, anyway."

"You sure?" He didn't sound convinced in the least.

"Really sure, Dip. Now!" She continued brightly, situating herself more comfortably on the bed. "I came here to continue with our day, like we should have _hours_ ago." He glanced at his clock- it was almost midnight now. _Have I really been out for almost half a day in here? Christ, it feels like I didn't sleep at all. This exhaustion is gonna kill me._

"Paz," he said gently, "I don't think that I can. I'm exhausted, almost like I didn't even sleep."

"That's why we're sleeping together, silly." She giggled as his eyes bulged out, mouth gaping like a fish. "Not like _that_ , you doofus! I mean, like, back at the party? When you slept near me, you didn't have any nightmares. I figure it's worth a shot on the larger scale, right?"

He yawned, shrugging. It wasn't really in his comfort zone- _especially_ with what had happened with Wendy earlier that day- but he was desperate for something resembling a good night's sleep. And, besides, it was _Pacifica_. He trusted her almost as much as he trusted Mabel, and that was only because you couldn't really beat their super mega sibling twin bond. "I suppose," he mumbled.

"Good boy. Let me just get changed real quick. Mabel always has clothes of mine lying around, anyway."

She took off, and he heard her opening and closing doors, rifling around his sisters wardrobe for some pajamas. God knows, the girl had slept over enough here over the years to merit having her own dresser at this point. He heard her having a soft, barely audible conversation with Mabel, probably about what to wear to bed After a few minutes, she came back in.

She was wearing polka dot pajama bottoms and one of Mabel's ridiculously fluffy sleeping sweaters, a Llama with a Christmas hat on the front. He grinned. "You look adorable."

"I know! Now, let's get sleepy, Dip. You look like you need it."

"I do," he agreed, scooting over on his bed to allow her access. They had slept in close proximity enough times over the years that it wasn't particularly awkward. She cuddled close to him, entertwining her legs with his. He raised an eyebrow at her in question.

She giggled a little, and said, "I figure that proximity helps, so the more contact, the more likely it succeeds. Besides, are you complaining at your hot friend holding you close?"

"My, my, aren't you humble?"

"I've seen myself naked in the mirror," she stated bluntly. "I'm hot as fuck, you dork. He hummed in agreement.

"I _guess_ ," he concedes with a grin.

"Damn right. Now shut up and get to sleep, Dip. If this works, we can do this more, at least until Multibear unfucks your head."

"Yeah," he said. "Sure, Paz."


	11. A Sudden Rush of Blood to the Head

**Warning: Sexual Content Ahead.**

"Dude. Pssst, _dude_!"

Dippers head snapped up, slamming his journal shut in a mild panic. He looked around his room for a moment- faux-wooden walls covered in random (badly drawn) sketches of monsters, some movie posters and one very outdated calendar from 2009. He cautiously brought himself to the window, peeking out the opened hole to find, of all things, Wendy Corduroy standing on his lawn, hands on hips and a cocky grin on her face. Parked on the street near her was a muddy, dented pickup, and he thought that it might have, once, been red in color.

"Wendy?!" He pinches himself lightly, then, seeing that he isn't actually asleep, and then leans out further, chest fully out into the late night air. "What are you _doing_ here?"

She took on an affronted look. "Well, I missed you, too, asshole!"

"Sorry! It's, like, great to see you, but, this is _Piedmont_! You live 400 miles away!"

She grinned. "Yup! Get your sister and then get your butt down here; we're going on an adventure, nerd-boy!"

He shook his head, grinning like a madman. "Mabel's at a sleepover at one of her friends houses; she's probably in a sugar coma right now. I'll text her anyway, though. Gimme a minute, I'll be right down!"

Struggling to slip into a ratty pair of jeans while he one handedly texted his sister ( _Wendy is here get up get up get up)_ , he made it down the stairs within a minute and a half, slamming his sneakers on carelessly before he rushed out the door, wincing as the screen door slammed shut with a sound like discount thunder. "Wendy!"

She laughed, meeting him halfway to bowl him over with a gigantic hug. She laughed heartily. "Dipper, dude! It's _so good_ to see you!"

"Same, dude! Like, you _drove_ here!"

"Totally, bro. I wanted to see my twins, since you two didn't come this summer. So I stole my dad's truck and cruised on down. Started yesterday, took a nap a few hours ago so that I wouldn't have to slow down once I got here," she explained.

"Wow, that's awesome! Wait... You _stole_ your dad's truck!?" His eyes widened in alarm, police sirens flashing behind his eyes.

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's whatever. We have an understanding about it; if I can make it through the booby traps without setting them off or waking him, then it's mine for however long, as long as he can get to work in the morning. I left him a note, though. Being gone for the weekend is a bit much without some notice that I'm not dead in a ditch somewhere, right?"

He nodded in agreement, finding Manly Dan's methods quite reasonable. The fact that he booby trapped his vehicle against his daughter didn't phase him at all. Honestly, he sort of expected something like that. "True. So, you drove 400 miles just... To see us?"

"Duh!" She caught him in a playful noogie, which was a bit awkward, seeing as he was now taller than her. "I haven'tt see you guys for, like, a year and then some, bro! I need my _Pines_ fix, man!"

Dipper escaped by tickling her ribs, wincing when she let out an uncharacteristic shriek. She glared at him playfully, and then kicked his shin when he started to laugh at her. "Okay, okay! It's great to see you, Wen. Really, I've missed you. Ive missed everyone, but summer just doesn't seem right without you kicking me in the ass every few days," he teased.

"That's my job, dude! Now, c'mon; we'll pick up Mabel on the way. It's adventure time!" She raised her hand, index pointed skyward, and struck a ridiculous pose. He laughed, gazing back at his house to make sure his parents hadn't woke up with all the commotion outside.

"Alright, let's ride, Wendy!" As he started off towards the dirty pickup, she cackled madly, launching herself onto his strong back, latching her legs around his waist and one arm around his shoulders, piggybacking on the startled boy. He staggered, but kept his feet under him.

"On! On! Mush, Pines, mush!"

He trudged over to the truck quickly, dumping her unceremoniously onto the hood when he reached it. "Maybe a warning next time?"

"Dude, if you didn't wanna get ridden like a horse, then you shouldn't have gotten taller than me!" The seventeen year old boy blushed at the potential double meaning to the words, and instead muttered something about how it was "all genetics". He crawled into the front seat, Wendy slipping in behind the wheel, the truck roaring to life beneath her fingers. "Let's _goooooo!_ "

Unfortunately, it turned out that Dipper was right about Mabel- she had overdosed on pizza, candy, soda, and gossip. She was totally out cold, as we're her two friends. They knew this because, after Dipper had told her which house Mabel was situated in, Wendy had parked on the curb and climbed up the house wall to peer into the second story window.

"Yup. Out cold. She'll have to call in the morning, I guess. Guess it's just you and me, dude! So, what's there to do in Piedmont at," she checked her phone, bright screen almost blinding in the darkness. "12:43 on a Saturday night?"

Several things crossed Dippers mind, all of them with varying types of illegality and nudity involved. He quickly quashed them, having neither the access to booze that he knew she would be okay with (having snuck into her Dad's stash before this on a few occasions), or the confidence or inclination to suggest the more nude options that two young and decently attractive young people could get involved in. "Not much," he said. There's a few parks that aren't really patrolled, but your mileage may vary on that."

"Ah, whatever," she shrugged. "Is there a beach or a tall hill around here?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I know one. What are we gonna do?"

She laughed, pointing towards the moon that hung full and low in the sky above. "Sky watching, dude! Hang out and shoot the shit while good ol' Mama Moon watching us, man."

"Sounds good. Here, take this road..."

After about half an hour of driving, they stepped out into one of the small state parks that dotted the area. "This way," he said, taking her hand and tugging her along, doing his best not to acknowledge the way his cheeks burned with the contact. "We're here," he said after they had walked in relative silence for twenty more minutes.

"Whoa," she said softly. The hill rose before them, majestic in the moonlight, covered in soft grass and hemmed in by tall trees. "It's perfect, dude!"

"Yeah," he agreed bashfully. She races up to the top, dragging him by his hand, cresting the rise before he had time to register what was happening.

"Dude! This is, like, beautiful. Definitely a place to take some ladies when you want them all hot and bothered, you little romantic!"

"I guess," he said, trying to hide the nervous way his voice cracked at her implications. She grinned at his awkwardness, dragging him down next to her as she lay on the grass, her arms locked behind her head as a pillow.

"Now _this_ is the way to be ," she said softly, gazing up at the moon and the thousands of pinpricks that were the stars.

"Yeah," he lulled to her, entranced by the bright moon, and the way it made her hair shimmer.

"I gotta say, Dip, you really outdid yourself. You trying to seduce me, you charmer, you?"

He laughed, maybe just a bit too loudly. "You know me (HA HA HA!), always trying to... Ya know, get into... Pants, or whatever," he sputtered. It had sounded better in his head, which wasn't saying much.

She snorted. "Yeah. No worries, dude. You're a cool cat, you know that? Just gotta build that confidence up when it comes to the _ladies,_ dude."

"I guess," he replied noncommittally. "I'm not exactly mister social butterfly over here, though."

"And a good thing, too! I don't think the world could deal with _two_ outgoing Pines twins. We'd all, like, implode or some shit, man."

"The world may never know," he intoned seriously. Wendy lightly smacked him on the forehead, giggling.

"Keep talkin', Pines Boy!"

He laughed, settling in beside her. She was right, though. This really _was_ a romantic spot, with the gentle, warm breeze on the October night tugging at his hair, the moon above so large that he felt that he could reach out and touch it. Abruptly, he sighed, a big _whoosh_ of air escaping his lungs. "I miss you, Wendy."

"Miss you too, dude. It ain't the same without ya."

"I... We've been going to Gravity Falls every summer for six years. It feels _wrong_ that we didn't do it this summer."

She reached out and grabbed at his hand, which was laying just beneath his head. She grasped it firmly, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand.

"I know how you feel, dude. It just doesn't feel like home without the Pine Twins getting into trouble, or stirring some shit up. The rest of the year besides summer feels... I dunno, _emptier._ We need you two just as much you need us. We're family, dude."

"Yeah... Family. We're all family, aren't we? You, me, Mabel, Paz, Candy, Grenda, Soos, the Stans, Melody. I like it. My big, weird family."

"Does that make me your hot older sister?"

He blushed, but teased back, "damn straight it does. I need you to intimidate all the girls who want me for my masculine physique," he joked, making a show of flexing his lean arm. It bulged a surprising amount, and she grinned.

"With muscles like that? I don't think I could, man!"

They laughed, joking around and enjoying the others company for hours. When the sun rose, it found them asleep in next to each other, hands still grasped tightly together.

 _ **Break**_

Pacifica watched him sleepily, seeing him slowly groan and moan as he dreamed. She frowned. _I guess it didn't really work_.

She wondered how she could help him now. Granted, she enjoyed the night they spent together- she, at least, felt well rested; a warm feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach, and it spread to her toes and fingers and nose. She gently stroked his hair, whispering soothing sweet nothings at him.

He calmed a bit, eyes still closed. He snuffled, unconsciously moving his head deeper into her gentle stroking. Smiling, she kissed his forehead. She lay down flush to him, drawing her free arm over his chest. He looked more... _peaceful_ like this, and it made her happy.

 _I did this. He's happy because of me._

Dipper yawned and _stretched_ , arms sleepily finding their way around her. Still half asleep, he finished the motion by bringing her in close, flush against his chest and face nuzzling into her hair. She smiled, blushing, and continued stroking his hair, her other hand coming up to stroke his cheek. He hummed appreciatively, rubbing at her hand with his cheek. He made a sound almost like a purr, a rumble starting deep in his throat and going through her limbs.

She thoroughly enjoyed the position that they were in, but she wanted _more_. He was under her, all handsome face and adorable, mussed hair, and all she could look at were those lips of his.

 _I wonder how he would taste,_ she thought to herself, imagining that it was _her_ , and not Wendy, that was slamming him against a wall and kissing him with force and passion and hunger.

 _I wonder if he would like it,_ she worried. But that was silly- she was Pacifica Northwest. She was the best of the best, _thank you very much_! Of _course_ he would like it!

She smiled shyly at the sleeping boy, his lips taking almost all of her attention. _I could do it. Right now._

Surely, she wasn't weak like th-

She struck, bringing herself down to him quickly, before she lost her nerve.

It was magical, it was beautiful, it was everything she had wanted from a kiss-

It was on the cheek, dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. Whatever could be said of her, Pacifica Northwest did not _cheat_. Changed the rules to fit her views, yes. But cheat? Never.

She smiled to herself. _Even if it's small, every single victory gets me closer._

He stirred, eyes fluttering in a way that almost had her squealing with how cute he looked.

"Hmmm..'Cifica? What'd... Huh-mmmm...?"

"Good morning," she said in response, and he snuggled back into his pillows temperamentally.

"S'not good at all," he moaned. "Tired..."

"I know, honey, I know. We'll get you fixed soon, just you see." She kissed him on the cheek again, and she had to physically stop herself from bringing it to his lips. _Strange._ Regardless, she lingered, face almost buried in his hair, stroking his cheek soothingly. "Poor boy," she whispered.

He looked horrible, if she were being honest with herself. Dark circles under his eyes, and he looked pale and drawn. It was like, for all the hours he spent sleeping, it did _nothing_ to relieve him. He seemed desperate for sleep. And she was desperate to help him.

 _But what can I do?_

"Just kill me," he moaned. "Put me out of my fucking misery."

"No way. I need you to stick around and dork up my life for a long time after this is over, doofus. Now, what can we do to get you rested?"

He gave a noncommittal shrug, or as best he could from lying down with his friend almost on top of him. "Fuck me if I know," he muttered, and she got several wonderful, horrible ideas from it that she did her best to squash, back into her hindbrain where they belong.

"Maybe... Tire yourself out?"

"I'm not exactly able to run around right now, Paz," he mumbled.

And, suddenly, all of those lustful, shameful thoughts that she keeps locked away _deep_ inside of herself are breaking through to the forefront, a million small ideas swirling and coalescing behind her eyes so fast and large that she is left dizzy.

 _I don't want to do that!_

 _Except that, I do._

She knew about sex. She knew, more importantly, that Wendy would use it to get to him.

 _Do I want to stoop to her level?_

And then, even more quietly within her mind, _can I afford not to?_

"Well, maybe... Maybe I could... Tire you out?"

"W-what?"

With more confidence than she truly felt, she brought herself even closer to the prone boy. "You know," she prompted. His eyes widened, and he shook his head a bit.

"I... I really _don't_ know. Paz, what are you-"

She cut him off with a finger to the lips. She's not sure where her words were coming from, but they were cut with base desperation- and, more importantly, they made _sense_. "Shhh. It's okay. Don't you want to _sleep?_ " She drew out the last word into a purr, moving her finger from his lips to his hair, stroking it softly and then turning it into an insistent _tug_ that made him moan despite himself. She grinned, salacious and sharp (and, if she were to be honest, it felt _wrong_ on her face, but that didn't matter, because she had this tangible feeling of _power_ running through her now, addicting and bright and deep), and took the chance that she had waited for for what felt like _years_.

She kissed him. Behind her eyes, stars exploded, universes formed and collapsed, and she _moaned_ into him like it was everything she had ever wanted.

And he moaned back at her, lust tinged with exhaustion and disbelief. She found his tongue, dueling it with her own in a sordid, lewd dance that left her breathless.

It was victory, it was catharsis, it was everything-!

It wasn't enough. She knew it.

As much as she would have loved to make out with him for hours (and hours and _hours_ ), it wouldn't solve his problem. But she knew what would. So, while one hand fisted itself through his messy hair, the other traveled down, down, _down..._

He made a sound of distress, hands moving from her sides (where they had found themselves with the kiss), to her head, tugging at her hair, pushing gently, yet insistently, against her cheek. "Paz!" He pulled away, eyes still clouded, breath coming out in short, harsh gasps as he struggled to control himself.

Smugly, she noted that he was losing that battle. _Score one for Pacifica._

"Paz, you don't... You shouldn't... I..." He was inarticulate and breathy, his chest rising and falling in an irregular tattoo that spoke of how _much_ she affected him.

"Your right, Dipper. I don't have to." Her hand, which had slowed at his distress, started again, slipping down, down into his shorts, grasping at him, filling up her hand. Her smile threatened to split her face in half as she brought herself close, enjoying how his eyes _rolled_ into his head, head thrown back in a soundless cry of pleasure and surprise. "I _want_ to."

He didn't reply, merely gurgling his mixed surprise and pleasure at her actions, hands moving up to tug at her hair in some twisted _need_ that made her feel sexy and alive. She giggled, and then kissed him again, reveling in the unabashed longing that he had for her right now. "That's it, that's it," she cooed softly, before his tugging won out and she was kissing him again, years of unresolved tension and passion frothing and bubbling to the surface, an eruption that consumed all that she was and could ever be for _this_ , this one moment that burned itself into her mind, that left an indelible mark upon her soul.

He was large and hot in her hand, and she started off softly tugging and rubbing him, feeling a small sense of wonder as she did- this is Dipper, _all_ of Dipper, so hot that she felt it burning through her skin, soft skin atop hard, _hard_ muscle. He moaned into her mouth, and it made her shiver, the quivering working itself to her fingers, her toes, her dripping quim. And, beneath the kiss, beneath the clashing of lips and tongue and teeth that _consumed_ her, his moaning became a word, low and needy.

" _Harder._ "

And that word, long and low, sent a _jolt_ through her, orgasmic and hot. She tightened her hand around him, quickening her pace, and she knew that she was doing it correctly by the way he threw his head back. "Paz... Pacifica, I... Oh!"

She bit his neck, and then kissed along it up to his ear, nipping and licking all along his jaw. "That's it, Dip, that's it. C'mon, baby," she lulled at him, bringing her legs around his, pressing her core into the side of his hips, trying to relieve the _pressure_ that was building up inside of her. One of his hands moved down to his short, pulling them down, exposing his cock to the air in lurid display only matched by the moans that they gave to the air, blocked from the rest of the world by the walls and closed door. So that was why they didn't hear someone walking unhurriedly up the stairs until they were opening the door. "Hey dude, I wanted to-"

She stopped mid sentence, a puzzled look coming upon her face, red hair falling limply along her shoulders. Her face slowly took on a betrayed look, followed by _anger_ as she looked at the compromised pair.

For their part, they stared back at the ginger, eyes wide and moths parted.

And then, Pacifica tugged again.

Slow and steady, her hand rose and fell around his shaft, fingers clasped tightly around the teen.

"Wendy, I... Paz, you... I...!"

He exploded beneath her, thick and white and _dirty_ , spurting onto his blankets, his lowered shorts, and her hand, and whatever he had been saying was lost to the _moan_ that escaped his throat, eyes rolling until only the whites remained to be seen. He collapsed, breathing heavily, eyes heavily lidded and closing, breath heaving. "Wendy, you... Pacifica, she, I..."

Pacifica let him go, using her free hand to draw his light blankets over him, mess and all. "Shhh, shhh, shhhh. Sleep, Dip." She kissed his forehead, gentle and soothing, stroking his hair with her free hand,and he gave in to the sleepless days worth of exhaustion, utterly spent in every sense of the word. She smiled, small and sincere at him. And then, when she turned to Wendy, who was gaping like a fish at her _gaul_ , she grinned cruelly. Standing, she strode towards the taller girl, who gave ground unconsciously, moving backwards until she bumped into the opposite wall behind the door.

Pacifica brought her dirtied hand up, admiring the pale, milky fluid that clung to it. Then, she stuck the fingers in her mouth, lathing them clean in a cruel, lewd show to the Corduroy girl.

She moaned, savoring the salty taste, and her eyes fluttered. _This is victory_ , she exulted. _This is me winning._

Stepping out if the door, she closed it behind her softly, leaving the now lightly snoring boy to his sleep.

Neither girl spoke for a moment, Wendy gazing at her with a mixture of hatred, sadness, and _awe_. Finally, Pacifica grinned cruelly. "Going somewhere, Wendy?"

The red head shook her head, and her eyes were wide and watery, and suddenly Pacifica didn't feel victorious anymore. "No, I'm... No, no, no, I... I'm just..." Without finishing her sentence, she fled down the corridor, leaving Pacifica standing there, frowning, wearing dirty pajamas, sodden panties, and messy hair.

"Did I..." The blonde looked around, frown deepening as her stomach dropped from beneath her. "What did I just _do?"_

No one answered her.

 _ **Break**_

Wendy didn't stop running until she was outside, halting herself to lean against a tree, breath ragged and tears flowing freely.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

She knew something like this would happen. She _knew_ that that little harlot would make a move, take Dipper into her embrace, hold him close and-

She slid down the rough bark, bringing her knees to her chest, wrapping them up with her long arms. _Is this what I get, for kissing him? For... Taking advantage of him like I did?_

She struggled to control the sobs that wracked her body- she hated them, hated feeling _weak,_ like some stupid little girl who's never had her heart broken before. _We weren't even dating or anything, so why do I feel like this?_

A ragged cry tore itself from her throat, a keening wail that echoed in a mockery around her. She hated the sound, the weakness torn form her throat, the admittance of defeat, of _inferiority_.

 _I wanted to talk to him. Talk about_ us. _About what we could be, him and me, together. But_ she _fucked it up._

 _Fuck her,_ she thought vehemently, _fuck that prissy little rich girl, with her salon blonde hair and her picture perfect looks. I'm_ better _than that little bitch!_

She groaned, and it turned into a inarticulate scream of rage and _pain,_ the clenching of her heart mixing with the liquid, roiling anger that threatened to consume her.

 _She_ stole _him,_ she thought in a voice that wasn't quite her own. _Stole him from_ me _!_

Her hands gripped her head, the onrushing blood and emotion pounding away within her, coalescing into a deep, throbbing pain that consumed every thought into a sick mantra-

 _Stole him._

 _Stole him._

 _Stole him_

 _ **Stole him**_

"Wendy?"

The ginger looked up, eyes still clouded and watery. "Mabes?"

The female twin looked down at her softly, a questioning look in her eye. "Youre not okay, huh?"

Wendy shook her head, bringing her fists up to her eyes, trying to dab away the traitorous tears that still coursed down. "I will be," she stated forcefully, more to convince herself than Mabel.

Smiling, the brunette sat down beside her, hips touching hers as she leaned against the tree Wendy had coopted for her use. "Of course you will! What stops Wendy Corduroy for long?" She threw a companionable arm across her shoulders, ruffling the ginger mane with a grin.

Matching it, Wendy hugged the girl, laughing lightly. "Not a fucking _thing_!" Releasing Mabel, Wendy took a deep, long breath. "Thanks, Mabes," she said gratefully.

"Any time, girlie! So, what's got you all down in the dumps, huh? I haven't seen you this upset since... Well, I don't know when!

"It's Dipper. And Pacifica. It's Dipper _and_ Pacifica," she breathed out, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Hmmmm?" The hyperactive girl leaned in close to her, cheek to cheek. "Well?"

Wendy told her, sparing no detail for the inquisitive (and surprisingly perverted) girl.

"That wasn't in the plan," Mabel whispered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing, Wen-Wen. Well, it sounds like Paz is winning the Dippingsauce games," she teased, and Wendy giggled like she was on the gallows. "Seriously, though. I really... I don't know what's happening with you and Paz, alright? Like, don't get me wrong, my bro is the awsomest dude I know, but, is he, like, worth you two trying to kill eachother and junk?" She wrung her hands together, casting a worried look at Wendy.

 _I don't even know, Mabes._

"Fuck if I know, dudette. It's all weird and shit. Like, logically and stuff, I _know_ that this shouldn't be doing. I like Dipper and all, but it wasn't enough to, like, declare war on Pacifica or whatever. But this week? It all exploded."

"Literally," Mabel snickered.

"Oh, fuck right off, dude! She, like, scarred me with that stuff. Hey, weren't you, like, all super mad at me yesterday?" She blinked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything," she added quickly.

"Pssshaw. Water under the bridge, Wendoll! Besides, Pacifica jumped the gun, so I need to, like, talk to her about how she wants to deflower my brother."

"I thought you _wanted_ to get Dipper laid, though?" _And, besides,_ _ **I**_ _want to deflower her brother!_

"Well, yeah! But, like, from where I can direct it. Like the Phantom of the Booty Call!" She drew her arm up to her face, pantomiming a cape. "Blargh! Bleh de bleh, I am mysterious and sexy Mabel!"

Wendy pushed her, laughing. "You're fucking crazy, dude!"

"Major Mabel, craziness expert, reporting in!" She faux saluted from her position in the dirt, smiling with all the wattage of the sun.

 _I'm not giving up, Dipper. If she can play dirty, so can I._

Above the girls, Dipper slept.


	12. Contemplation amongst rainwater

**So, I got a few books a week or two ago, and I've been reading them instead of really writing the last two chapters, since I do these at work. I'd apologize, but I'm not sorry at all.**

Dipper awoke slowly. Sleep had become such a foreign concept over the past few days for him that, when he finally had some- actual, deep, _restful_ sleep- he felt only confusion upon waking. He groaned as the wonderous sensation left him once again, leaving him in the precarious position of feeling rested, while still tired. He was merely _less_ exhausted, but not refreshed. Still, anything at this point was a victory.

 _What a good dream_ , he thought, and then he remembered that he only dreamed of what had already happened, even if it was twisted around-

"Oh, God," he groaned. Pacifica had-

And Wendy had-

And Pacifica did-

And Wendy _saw_ -!

"I am so screwed," he whispered to himself. He groaned, and then slowly picked himself up from his bed, gingerly wiping at the sticky residue of the night before. He registered, dimly, that _Pacifica Northwest_ had given him a handjob last night. He suspected, wryly, that it wasn't _strictly_ for medicinal purposes, even though it had knocked him out like a light.

He dragged himself into his small shower, hoping that the hot water would scrub away some of the shame that bubbled in his chest.

 _What is wrong with me?_ He shouldn't be this conflicted, he shouldn't be...

Was _cheating_ the word he was looking for? It felt slightly off for his situation; all he and Wendy had done was some heavy kissing, and that had started off as forced. And Pacifica-

Well, _Pacifica_. Surprise of his goddamned life, that was. He idly rubbed shampoo into his soft hair, only half aware of what he was doing.

He, honestly, had no idea what to do. Not even touching on the fact that some potentially evil force just _might_ be trying to kill him through the manipulation of his dreams, he had next to no experience with the opposite sex. The few times he had asked out girls in Piedmont had ended... Less than well, he would say. He was just too strange for the normal, non-Gravity Falls world.

But, now, the two most beautiful women he knew- literally- were fighting over him. Or, fighting with each other with him in the middle.

It was a confusing situation, and he wasn't quite sure if he should be flattered by the attention, or angered by their treatment of him. Honestly, it was probably both. He groaned, and washed out the frothy shampoo, watching disinterestedly as it flowed down the drain.

Tomorrow, he would go see Multibear again. He hoped that his friend could help him, because he was fast losing his grip on the situation.

Outside, there was the sharp crack of thunder.

 _ **BREAK**_

Mabel watched as the rain pattered fruitlessly against her windowpane, her hands working to knit another sweater. Beneath her, a kitten with a unicorn horn on its head frolicked happily across the sweaters front.

"Well, aren't you just the _cutest,_ " she whispered to the two dimensional creature. Outside, she watched as Waddles happily galavanted about his now enclosed pigpen, the large animal rolling in the fresh mud. She had tested the rain earlier, and it was nice and warm, so she wasn't worried about her old pet catching some sort of piggy cold.

She sighed, finishing the sweater with daunted enthusiasm. She had been back at Gravity Falls for a week, and things were...

Well, they weren't exactly _good_.

She looked to her left, seeing the large, framed picture she kept upon her dresser. In it, a younger Mabel stood, grinning and giving a peace sign to the camera. Beside her, Dipper, Wendy, Candy and Pacifica- Grenda had been on vacation at the time- smiled at the camera, waving to Soos as he took the picture. Her eyes focused on the then fifteen year old blonde, her usually guarded features morphed into a bright smile that lit up the photograph like the sun.

She was beginning to suspect, not that she would ever admit it aloud, that pushing the blonde and her brother together might have been a mistake. A _big_ mistake.

Pacifica was acting _crazy_!

The scheming, the obsession with both Dipper and Wendy, her muttered plans, how she...

Mabel frowned, brow creasing. How Pacifica had practically seduced her brother, and then used the _evidence_ to basically torment Wendy. Hell, Mabel had found the poor girl crying, no, **weeping** , outside the Shack. Wendy almost _never_ cried. The move was unjust, uncalled for, it was just plain _mean_!

And the one thing Mabel couldn't _stand_ was people being mean to each other. Especially when it was her friends getting meaned to.

 _Meaned? Or maybe demeaned. Wait, no, not that. I should ask Dipper about it..._

Yes. Still, Pacifica was being a no-good meaney face, and, more, it was leaving her precious brother caught in the middle of whatever strange catfight the blonde and the ginger had going on.

It was such a shame, too! She loved Pacifica like a sister, and Wendy was basically that cool older cousin who showed you the ropes about how things were done.

Not that she was implying that Dipper sleeping with either of them was akin to incest or anything; although, now that she thought about it-

 _Focus, Mabel!_

She forcefully brought herself back to her semblance of reality, frowning in effort. Pacifica Northwest had changed since two summers ago, and that change was nothing but trouble, as far as Mabel could see.

The blonde had always been sort of... Mabel wanted to use the word clingy, but it wasn't quite that strong. _Needy_ , she guessed; like Pacifica would sort of sink into herself if left alone. It was like Pacifica didn't know how to be Pacifica unless she had someone else around to bounce her personality off of. Mabel saw, every time that they met, the way her eyes brightened with excitement and gratitude.

Honestly, she felt bad for the girl, even though she knew that Pacifica would hate to be on the receiving end of any sort of pity. The proud girl had spent most of her life as a rich debutante, and had been reduced to status akin to a pauper.

If paupers still had several million dollars to the family name, but the point was the same. Pacifica Northwest was a girl trying to fill the shoes of a girl who never was and never could be, and her only respite from the shadow of that girl was the Pine Twins.

The Pine Twins who were only around for three months out of the year.

The Pine Twins who hadn't even _been here_ last year.

Mabel sighed, getting up and placing her freshly made sweater upon the small pile of sweaters that she meant to wear soon. She was the only person she knew who could wear them year round- nevermind that she didn't wear them every day like she used to. She supposed that it was one of those minor superpowers people could get, like that guy who could stick stuff to himself like he was a magnet, or the lady who eats glass.

"My superpower is _way_ better," she said to herself. She plopped back down in her seat, face scrunching up against the windowpane, her breath fogging it with each exhalation.

She was worried. About Dipper, about Paz, about Wendy. They were her _family_ , even if she didn't ship some of them together, she still loved them all to pieces!

Even though they were starting to drive her crazy.

Well, crazier than usual. Even she admitted that she was a strange egg.

"I'm the cutest egg, though. Like, an Easter Egg, but with tie dye colors and fluffy sweaters." She nodded to herself, inadvertently bopping her forehead upon the glass.

Another problem, she reflected ( _good one, Mabel!_ ), was that they hadn't had any _adventures_! It's been a whole week back, and they had only gone to see the Multibear, and that was it! No Werewolves, no Gnome transformers, no dragons, no death defying danger and doom!

She watched as Waddles, satisfied with his mudding, lazily meandered back to his pen, the corrugated iron roof keeping the rain off of her favorite pig. She smiled happily for him; at least one of them was enjoying the summer so far.

Outside the window, the rain continued on, beating out the tattoo that heralded the rest of the day.

 _ **BREAK**_

Pacifica lazed about her bedroom, slowly filing at her nails. They were painted a pale blue, and they matched her eyes in a way that she wasn't sure if she liked or not.

Outside, the rain beat down heavily, the roiling of thunder in the distance telling her that today was not her day. She has half planned to head to the Shack again, but she was glad that the rain gave her an excuse not to.

In her minds eye, she saw Wendy, ginger hair aflutter as she shook her head back and forth- _No, No, No_ \- like she wanted to cry and scream and rage at Pacifica as she _claimed_ Dipper like he was a prize and she was a beast.

 _I don't like this competition_ , she thought to herself, but she was too... _obligated_ , in too deep to back out now. Honestly, the idea of just letting Wendy _win_ gave her a headache, like her body was rebelling against the basest notion of defeat.

 _But isn't it supposed to be about Dipper? About keeping him safe and happy?_

It had started that way, yes. But it had morphed into something... Worse. An ugly war between two women, with her best friend caught in the middle.

She hated it.

She hated it, but she daren't stop; not now.

Just a little more, and he'll be hers, and she'll be his, and _fucking Wendy_ could go find some other poor boy to corrupt and fuck and make miserable.

Because that's what it is about, isn't it?

"Isn't it?" She mumbles, the file switching hands.

She frowns into her buffed nails, looking around. Her room was so _boring_! Not like Mabels room, all posters and tie dye and _life_ just for the sake of living. The most color she had on her walls were the scant posters she had tacked on- the posters that Mabel had given her!

Not that she presumed that she would be seeing that room for a while. She knew that Mabel was going to be angry at her; angry that she had basically stole her brothers seed like some thief in the night.

The act, the burning liquid on her hands, the slick skin and hard muscle beneath her fingers, the way his eyes _rolled,_ the easy way that he moaned for her...

It was intoxication, pure and simple. Dipper was her drug. Her filthy, dirty drug, the one that made her act like some _harlot_.

Her parents would be furious if they found out, and the thought brought a smile to her face.

"Not daddys perfect little heiress now, hmm?" She chuckled, finishing her nails and throwing the file into her dresser drawer once more. She rolled out of bed, moving to sit down on her small chair in front of her makeup table.

The table, high backed mirror surrounded by _pounds_ of expensive looking beauty products, was the one thing in her room that her parents had really splurged on; useless products to turn her into some caricature of who she was, to impress the children of other families, to woo their sons and fathers into alliances and potential marriages. She was another bargaining chip to them; a potential way to access more wealth and power.

She hated it. She felt like a whore when she had to wear the effete trappings of their forgotten wealth and prestige. It felt _wrong_.

Pacifica Northwest the Heiress had died during Weirdmaggedon six years ago. Pacifica Northwest the Girl had been born, and she hadn't looked back once. All the accoutrements, the splendor, the glamor... It all felt so _fake_ to her.

The Pines felt real, though. They were... _Solid_. Reminders that she had fought and bled and _overcome_ hardships, only on the strength of her indomitable will alone.

That, and a giant robot built out of a house, but that was a team effort, anyway.

"I live in a weird town," she mumbled, pausing to brush her bangs back from her stark blue eyes.

She really was a beautiful girl; poised, strong featured, nubile and curvy where it counted, and with sparkling white teeth that she took immaculate care of.

And she knew, gazing at her potentially _thousands_ of dollars of beautification products, that the pretty girl looking back at her didn't _matter_ to the Pine Twins- her beauty didn't matter, but her personality did. The proud, uncompromising girl, who wasn't afraid to get dirty with them on their mystical adventures, who didn't take shit from _anyone_ , who stood up with them and for them at any moment-

 _That_ was who Mabel and Dipper loved. _That girl_ was the one who was proud to be called their best friend, the heiress who fell from grace and crawled back out of the wreckage a changed and better girl.

 _Am I still her?_ The small voice that asked that question fades into her mind once more, flitting across her brain like a bird skimming a lake.

She sighs, fingering some lipstick that was made from some obscure sounding Amazonian compound.

"Will I still be her when this is over?"

Outside, the thunder rumbled ever closer, the rain smacking against her window like vengeance itself.

 _ **Break**_

She had overslept.

It didn't matter, really- Soos had called her earlier, telling her to take the day anyway, so she could afford to catch up on those Z's that had been stolen from her by her alarm clock so many times before.

Now, wether he did that because of her break down yesterday, or because he wanted her away from Dipper for a full day, was anyone's guess.

 _Or maybe it's because there's a mondo murder storm about to blow through,_ she thought with a small laugh.

Her house was empty, couch that normally strained under the weight of five other Corduroys (or two very special twins) now only supporting her lithe form. She groaned deliciously as she stretched her arms above her head, back arching into the air, her shirt riding up and showing her stomach. On the TV, a cheap monster flick blared, a man in a rubber suit crushing a miniature city.

It was funny to watch, but it felt somewhat lessened. She needed her movie watching buddy. Seeing these shitty horror flicks and B movies had become her and Dippers _thing_. It was how they bonded, cracking jokes back and forth as they pigged out on cheap snack foods. It was one of her _favorite_ parts about the Twins showing up each summer. It was also why last summer had sucked so badly.

For whatever reason, her other friends, even the ones her age, never held a candle to Dipper and Mabel Pines. It was like there was some sort of magic about them, removed even from the _actual_ magic of Gravity Falls. They were just... _Better_.

And she felt them slipping through her fingers, and she hadn't even had them for a _week_. She almost wanted to cry every time she thought about how they had grown apart. How they were _still_ growing apart. It was like her family was breaking up.

 _Mabel doesn't like me getting close to Dipper, and Dipper is being stolen away by Pacifica._

Pacifica Northwest.

That home wrecking little **maggot.**

"Just who the Hell does she think she is?" The words didn't receive an answer, and her fists clenched involuntarily as she thought about the picture perfect blonde girl. Her _perfect_ smile and her _perfect,_ flowing hair and her _perfect_ svelte body and-

And the way she had tugged on Dippers cock until it _exploded_ , and how she had come forward like a predator stalking prey, _licking_ at her dirtied hand like she'd just stolen the biggest fucking prize in the world. She had _known_ just how to strike at her. It wasn't about Dipper, it had been about _Wendy_!

It was revenge. Revenge for how Wendy had stolen away Dippers breath with a searing kiss. Revenge for how she had timed it _just so_ , so that Pacifica had walked in through the door at the right moment to catch it in all its glory.

 _I guess that little Miss priss knows how the game is played_ , she mused to herself, a sardonic grin tugging at her lips. _I_ did _ask for it, after all._

One long leg came into the air, her foot idly whirling about in the same direction as her ceiling fan. She sighed, all the air in her lungs releasing in a huff.

 _I'm not sure if I like this game anymore._

It was an asinine pissing contest with the daughter of the richest people in town over the heart of her best friend in the whole world. She _knew_ that Paz was planning... _Something_! She couldn't not be. She was...

Was...

 _A scheming little whore,_ a voice inside of her supplied helpfully, and she found herself nodding. _A dirty, angry little girl trying to steal your man!_

"That bitch," she muttered, hands running through her ginger locks in exasperation.

"What in the Hell is she trying to _do_ to you, Dipper-dude? Paz is being all... Super turbo bitch."

She shook her head, her forehead furrowing in slight worry. Outside, the rain got harder, lightning flashing through her windows, the ominous thunder coming seconds after.

"This would be so much easier if he still had that mega crush on me like he used to," she mused to herself. It had been cute when they were twelve and fifteen, even though she hadn't done anything with it. Not that she even _could_ at that point. But now?

Now was different.

She was twenty one, he was almost nineteen, and she felt the oddest _tugging_ within herself at the thought of him. It was in her heart, in her head, and, most damningly, deep in her loins. She wanted to _touch_ him.

She wanted to make him hers, ravage him and claim him again and again and again, until they were both nothing but rutted animals laying in a satisfied heap. She wanted to _taste_ every last inch of him, and she wanted him to taste her, too. She wanted to use her lips and teeth to _mark_ him, so that no one- **no one!** \- could mistake who he belonged to.

She wasn't a virgin- hadn't been in years, if she cared to admit it; not that it was a source of pride or shame to her. It simply _was_. Teens in backwoods Oregon towns would, of course, end up exploring more than the nearby forests to pass the boring times. But with all of the men and (a few) women she'd slept with either in town or up at college a few towns over, she had never felt such a... _Reaction_ like she had in Dipper. Just kissing him made it seem like stars were exploding behind her eyes and in her mind.

And she wanted _more._ So much more.

And if _anyone_ was going to break in Dipper Pines, it sure as hell was gonna be Wendy Corduroy. She grinned to herself, half watching as the monster on screen demolished another skyscraper.

 _Who better than me?_ She tweaked her own nipple through her shirt, a salacious smile taking hold of her features as she ran her hands down her body. She was hot, and she knew it. She _reveled_ in it; she earned her body through sweat, blood and tears, and damned if she wasn't going to enjoy it.

And Dipper was going to help her, and she was going to help him, and no _stuck up fucking blonde princess_ was going to stop her.

The lightning roared in anger outside, and the forest trembled.


	13. That Which Dwells Deeply

The cave had a dank smell to it, yesterday's rain hanging around like a pallor. Dipper sat awkwardly on Multibear's worn couch, hands laced together in his lap. Mabel sat beside him, humming lightly.

He was immensely grateful for her being there- Multibear was secluded in a far corner, his mighty claws somehow manipulating the mortar and pestle that he was using to grind up more herbs for whatever potion they were about to ingest. The bear had shooed them to the couch as they had entered, a claw to his lips pantomiming quiet, and they had (mostly) complied. It had been a few minutes of sitting in silence, and the dragging of time just refocused his mind on all of the possibilities, of what could happen.

Was it Bill? He wouldn't put it past the canny dream demon to manage to ressurect himself.

Was it his mind finally breaking down? He'd been through his share of traumatic experiences; he wouldn't be surprised if some PTSD was at work here. Some things man was not meant to see, but Dipper made it his business to go find them anyway.

Had he been cursed? He knew that magic had strange rules and consequences, maybe he had tripped some secret trap at one point? He knew that some of the more esoteric Egyptian curses waited a few years to take effect, so maybe Gravity Falls had something similar?

While he slowly started to panic, Mabel Pines hummed a happy tune, looking around the cave with a decorators eye for detail. The cave walls were mostly bear ( _Ha! Score one for Mabel!)_ except for the few skins and posters that were fun tacked onto the stone. Honestly, Multibear lived a riculously Spartan lifestyle. Which made sense, seeing as he lived in the middle of the woods; she still didn't know how he had managed to rig up working electricity in his cave without the use of thumbs.

 _Magic, probably._

Slowly, Multibear finished with the potion, walking over solemnly to the Twins. "This is it, Dipper Pines," he intoned. "This is a dangerous potion; even if it is made perfectly, there is a chance of your body rejecting it, and, if that happens, there is a good chance that you will die. Are you sure you wish to proceed?"

Taking a deep breath, Dipper let it out slowly, placing his hands upon his knees and standing up stiffly. "It's not like I have much choice. If this not sleeping thing keeps up, I'm gonna die from exhaustion."

"Are you sure, Bro Bro?" Mabel wrung her hands worriedly at the news, eyes running along the walls as she bit her lip.

"No, but that makes my life more interesting," he joked to her. She frowned, but didn't say anything in return. Walking to the Multibear, he stood in front of him awkwardly, hands worrying at the edges of his pants pockets. "So, how do we do this?"

Lifting up on his hind legs steadily, he kept the large bowl of liquid at eye height to his human friend. "We each drink from this bowl, and the runes carved into it shall link our sleeping minds together. From there, we shall revisit your dream, and find out what has burrowed into your mind, young friend. I have walked the Dreampaths before, so I can navigate us there easily enough. Are you ready?"

Dipper grinned, showing more bravado than he actually felt. "No point in waiting."

 _ **Break**_

The Dreamlands were a strange place to find oneself. It was a swirling, amorphous mass, a fusillade of colors that made rainbows and pallets in an instant, only to fade away in the same moment. Dipper felt his eyes trying to follow every single color at once, the strain of it causing pain within the depths of his mind, the whirling colors trying their utmost to consume him.

A large, furry paw blocked out his vision abruptly, and the hot air of Multibear's breath caressing his ear. "Do not gaze long into the DreamScape, young Pines. It will only lead to madness. Come. We must go." The paw left, and Dipper forced himself to blink and look away, hurrying after the meandering bear.

Out of the colorful mass, small scenes reared past, a million, million different verdant worlds passing by in a blur. "What is all this?"

"The Dreampaths," the bear reiterated. "All of the dreams of all of the world pass through here on their way to oblivion. It is the closest that you will get to the Other World until you die, young Pines, and you would do well to stay away from dreams that are not your own. Follow me; I can lead us to your vault."

"Vault?" He kept his eyes straight, focusing on the bears hind faces, which looked back at him ambivalently. The amorphous colors swirled past still, and they seemed, if anything, to get faster as they proceeded. He felt dizzy, unstable. He wasn't entirely sure what he was walking on, and he wasn't sure if it counted anyway, seeing as he was technically astrally projecting himself through both time and space.

"The vault in which your dreams are kept. As long as they are held within your memory, they are stored therein. We are close, now," he rumbled, plodding along steadily.

"Well, that's good," Dipper mumbled, reaching out to keep his hands upon his friends mighty flanks. He stumbled as the dreams- other people dreams, the transcendence of their hopes and memories and wants and lusts- reached a crescendo, the snapshots battering upon his mind, begging entrance, _demanding_ it, beating on him with a trillion astral fists and a rage brought forth by inexorableness. His eyes closed in a desperate attempt to stem the tide, the chittering of the dreamtides digging down, down, down, into his skin, his bones, his blood, infusing him with hopes and nightmares and dreams-

"We're here."

Dipper opened his eyes. The storm was calmed, the colors whirling lazily around. In the slowed down ether, he saw more dreams- _his_ dreams. Old, half remembered slumbers, deep, lustful dreams, and-

And, in the center of the mass, with deep, red roots coming out of it like a cancer, there was his nightmare. Faintly, he heard the sound of drumming, and the school of laughter, and the doldrum rumble of "Pines, Pines, Pines..." It was like a window into his subconscious, and the window was poisoned against him.

"If you were not here, I could not have found your vault. The Dreampaths are ever changing, effervescent. Are you ready?"

Dipper gulped, eyes fixed on the dream window that seemed to _thump, thump, thump_ in a heartbeat rythym. "I... Yeah. Yeah. Let's go find out what's going on."

Moving forward, they pressed through the window, and the heartbeat came louder and louder, and there was a horrid laughter that echoed for forever.

 _ **Break**_

It was strange, walking through his own nightmare once again. It was... It felt _wrong_. Like he was trespassing upon his own mind.

"Men are not meant to walk the same path twice," Multibear said to him, almost as if he had read his racing mind.

"I can see why," he muttered. They walked slowly through the ruined streets of Gravity Falls, Dipper keeping close to his large friend, eyes darting to every corner and shadow. "Sooo... Do you know what we're looking for?"

"No," the bear admitted.

"Well, that's reassuring." They kept on through, down well trodden, ruined streets. It was oddly quiet, as if whatever nightmare had held him here had retreated to some hole. There was no laughter, no heartbeat thrumming, no fell footfalls.

He didn't like it. But he knew where he had to go. "The Shack. Whatever it is, it'll be there."

"Lead the way, young Pines."

It didn't take long to get there- the strange, shifting ways of the dream lent them speed. He wished, deep down, that they had taken longer- whatever was hiding within the familiar walls of his home within the Weird, it _scared_ him. Coming to the door, he gulped.

"Here goes nothing." He opened the door, and stepped inside. The Multibear followed.

It was dark. Dark and dank, and it smelled of mold and must. The house was like a corpse, rotted wood and leaning eaves. "It's here."

Nodding, Multibear reared back on his hind legs, letting out a guttural roar that reverberated around the Shack, an almost visible shock wave.

A challenge.

"Come out, beast! Let me know your name!" For a moment, all was still. And then, faintly, laughter.

 **"You already do... My old friend..."**

Softly, Dipper heard the gasp of his bear friend, large and loud in the silence after the dread voice had sounded once more. Dipper knew that voice- it had haunted his mind, a foul echo, for a whole week.

He turned to him. "Who-"

 **"I"**

He felt it, behind him, a chill that ran down his spine and down, down, down, through his toes, an icy aura that split into the ground beneath him. Every instinct in his body told him to run, to flee, to hide-

And he was stuck there, trembling, eyes held open by the sheer _terror_ that courses through him. This wasn't the fear of prey in front of a predator; this was an insect held before the full power of the sun. This wasn't the threat of death, but _obliteration_. He was nothing in comparison to this, this...

Monster?

 _God._

Somehow, Multibear was unaffected. He regarded the... _Thing_ behind Dipper with distaste, hate etched upon his face. "Magog."

 **"Me. Come to beg?"** The voice was a sibilant hiss, the echo of long Winters and defeated hopes. It came not from the presence behind him- the presence that he was too frozen to look at- but from _everywhere_. Not his ears, but as if it was driven directly into his brain.

"Never," the bear answered, defiant and angry. "You do not belong here. Begone!"

 **"I am here. I am going nowhere."**

"I shall remove you. This boy does not belong to you."

 **"EVERYTHING BELONGS TO ME!"**

Dipper fell to his knees, tears flowing from his eyes, his ears bleeding, the sheer _loudness_ obliterating every thought and wish and hope from his mind, a cannonball through his frontal lobe, an assault upon his very _essence_ that hobbled him. He was an atom brought to suffer the wrath of a God.

"Not. Him!"

The voice let forth a cruel chuckle, echoing just like when Dipper had first had this nightmare. **"Then let the boy SEE his Saviour, old friend!"**

And then there were hands upon his shoulders, cruel and grasping, a thousand of them that dragged him around with the inexorableness of the setting of the sun. And when he was turned around, all he could see was the deep, dark eyes that drew him in.

 _ **Break**_

He awoke with a gasp, face down in the snow.

 _That isn't right_ , he thought groggily. It was summer when he had taken the potion, when Multibear-

Standing before him was his friend, except... Not.

There was blood on his muzzle. There was blood on the snow around him. And behind him was a corpse.

A fresh, human corpse, with terrified, glassy eyes. Rough leather and dirty moccasins, a stone hatchet at his side, war paint on his face. "Multibear?"

His _friend_ snuffles forward towards him, teeth dripping viscera and gore, his long, sharp claws covered in fresh blood. "Buddy?"

A deep, low growl issued forth from his throat, reverberating through the forest around them like a curse.

His voice was scared and small. "Multi... Bear...?"

Face drawn into a snarl, froth and blood intermingling upon his mouth and dripping into the snow, he charged at the downed teen.

 _ **"Enough!"**_ Around him, the voice of the Multibear echoed, angry and powerful.

 _ **Break**_

Dipper awoke- _actually_ awoke- with a gasp, his body curled into the fetal position all on its own. His head was pounding, and there was a sticky mess next to his face where he had vomited up his breakfast. Cheery looking cereal stared up at him from his acrid bile.

"Fuck," he said succiently. "What..."

He retched again, and spittle and whatever was left in his abused stomach roiled out of his mouth. Behind him, he felt Mabel's soothing presence as she rubbed small circles in his back. He recoiled from his vomit, scooting backwards into his twin, who was softly cooing soothing words in his ear.

"What the fuck was that?" He demanded angrily.

"That," said the Multibear from his repose on the cave floor, "was Magog."

Dipper said nothing, breathing heavily through his nose, spitting out the taste of his vomited breakfast onto the puddle of it on the floor. He glared at him, his eyes saying all that was necessary- Well?

"My old... Master. It was He who made me as I am."

"A murderer?" His voice was cold, and Multibear had the grace to flinch.

"Yes."

"What... What happened in there?" Mabel ceased rubbing Dippers back, instead endeavoring to help him up. He swayed, but stayed upright.

"The short of it, Mabel, is that there's some... Demon God thing in my head, and he showed me... What, Multibear? Your past life?"

"Essentially, yes. Before I became a Protector of all life, I was... A menace." He took a deep, steadying breath. "Once, long ago, I prowled these forests, killing humans that trespassed upon the trees and the animals here. They sang legends of me in the tribes around here. For four hundred years, I reigned bloody and supreme."

"Why?" That was Mabel. Her voice was small, and her eyes wide. There was such... _Power_ in Multibear's voice, such a resignation for it, she didnt know how to process it.

Process that her brothers good friend was actually a monster.

"Because of Magog. He is the Beast God, and he made me as his herald. He made me as I am, this... Amalgamation," he finished with disgust in his voice. "He made me this long lived beast king, ruling a silent kingdom. And now he wants you, Dipper."

"Why would he want me?"

"I know not. It could be that your multiple dealings with Bill Cypher have made you more open to possession. Maybe it is happenstance. It matters not; he will try to consume you, steal your body, and then use you as a puppet for his own ends. I will not let this happen to you."

Dipper spat once again, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Why, wanna piss off your old buddy?" He spoke venomously, eyes angry and tearful.

"He was not my friend, but my _slavemaster!_ I broke free of him four hundred years ago, and I will _not_ see him return to power!" The bear stood upon his hind legs, roaring in anger, his ancillary jaws mouthing in residual rage.

Dipper stood unbowed. " _How_ do we get him out?"

Multibear came crashing down, and his head bowed in shame. "I... I do not know. But I can stall him while we find out, friend Pines."

Dipper glared at him for a moment longer, the image of his friends bloodstained maw still fresh in his mind. He wasn't sure if he could trust his old friend anymore, and he _hated_ that idea. He sighed, his anger collapsing into his chest, being replaced by exhaustion. "I guess that'll have to do."

 _ **Break**_

Pacifica felt the need to apologize.

She quashed it with extreme prejudice, however, reminding herself that Wendy Corduroy was the _enemy_ , the bitch that was trying to-

Yes, that.

Still, it was _awkward_ as _fuck_ to sit quietly in the same room as the girl that you were fueding with, waiting for her best friend/ kind of boyfriend to come back from some crazy magic excursion in the forest.

She was sitting on the couch in the Shack, and had been there for the past two hours, waiting. And _Wendy_ had been there, too. Leaning against the wall, sitting in a chair, whistling, listening to music, just... Being _here_.

With Pacifica.

It was absolutely maddening. And, worst of all, Paz didn't blame her for it! The fact that she was here, waiting for Dipper- Dipper, who was waiting on news that could effect his _life,_ who was fighting for his sanity, who was suffering from horrible nightmares.

Yes, she couldn't blame Wendy for being here, not at all. That didn't mean she liked the girl one bit, though.

Still, it was so _quiet_. It was absolutely galling, she could barely _stand_ it!

"Umm," she started eloquently. The red head raised an eyebrow at her, and the blonde flushed. "Sooo..."

"...So," Wendy said back, a small smirk inching onto her face, her arms held across her chest.

"So, Dipper..." she trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"Yeah," Wendy agreed, and the 'conversation', as it were, stalled once more. After a few minutes of fitful silence, Wendy sighed loudly, and came over to her, sitting down heavily on the couch with a _fwoomp_. "Okay, Paz, we need to set some... Ground rules."

Pacifica stared at her for a moment, before raising a delicate eyebrow at her. "Go on."

"So, we've been complete bitches to each other over this Dipper situation. Which is, ya know, understandable. But it's totally not cool that were leaving him in the middle. Not when he's being, all, well... Whatever it is that's happening to him."

"What are you suggesting?" Pacifica laughed lightly, fingers drumming upon the couches armrest. "A truce?"

"Hahaha, no. God, no. This is to the death, man! I'm just saying that we need to, y'know, be mindful of Dip. So we don't stress him out while he's going through all this shit. Dont drag our dues in front of him like we've been doing. You dig, dude?"

Pacifica nodded slowly, "Yeah, yeah. That's... Fair? Yeah, fair. I agree." She paused, before grinning widely at her. "I'm going to win, though."

Wendy laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, Pazzy. After all," she paused to flip her hair over her shoulder with a contemptuous grin, "everybody knows that red heads do it better!"

Whatever retort Pacifica was about to come up with was covered by the harsh _bang_ of the front door. Dipper stalked in, and he seemed so _angry_.

"You're here. Good."

"Dipper, what-"

He stopped forward, and Pacifica unconsciously inched backwards into the ratty couch, her question dying on her lips. Behind her brother, Mabel came in, quiet and timid seeming.

 _Not good._

"Somebody get Soos. We have a lot to talk about."


	14. A Short, but necessary, Respite

"Whoa! That's, like, extra cool creepy, dude. And he drew that on with his claw?" Soos poked gently at the skin around his chest, a rune set there with puckering, healing skin.

"He _carved it_ into my flesh, Soos. With his claw." Dipper half-heartedly swatted at his good natured friends hand.

"Ouch. Extra creepy, but also bonus cool points, bro!" Nodding to himself, Soos left Dippers chest alone, backing up a few steps until he was next to Pacifica, who was looking at him with a worried furrow to her brow.

Dipper sighed, straightening a little. The rune on his chest was a straight line, starting at the base of his throat and running down to his stomach. Three perpendicular lines crossed the top of it, and another longer and thicker line marked the bottom of it. His skin was hot and pink around the edges where the cuts were made; an angry color for an angry time. "Yeah, cool as hell," he muttered.

"Hey, man, Soos has a point. Chicks dig scars! Plus, it's totally keeping some dream demon God thing from eating your eternal soul. So, like, extra points there, I guess." Wendy was behind him, lounging on the ratty couch in their living room. Mabel was sitting on the armrest, twiddling her thumbs and trying to not look worried for her dork brother.

She was failing, but, like Grunkle Stan would say, _It doesn't matter what they think, as long as you get paid._ God, but she missed him.

"But will it? Scar, I mean," asked Pacifica. "It's, like, magic, right?"

"No idea!" Dipper rejoined brightly. "Multibear seemed more concerned with the parasite trying to kill me. But, hey, I don't care too much about that, since this is going to keep him out of my head for awhile. Anything that allows me to get some sleep is A Okay in my book right now." The rest of them nodded in agreement; the young man still looked like shit, with small bags under his eyes.

However, his eyes no longer seemed distant and dim, so _something_ must have gone correctly with him.

Pacifica smiled wryly. "Well, I guess that we can forgive your bear friend for carving you up, _this time_. He trys to do something like this again, though, then we're going to be having a very long conversation about it." Mabel giggled lightly, and Dipper shook his head.

"Oh, ha ha ha, Paz. Thanks _so_ much for your concern."

She scoffed at him, "be thankful I love you so much, dork! Who else is going to go to bat for you against a bear monster?"

"Me!" Said Mabel excitedly, eyes finally lighting up.

"I would," said Wendy. "Axes, yo."

"Pterodactyl Bros before bear created woes, dude!"

Pacifica blushed, but laughed as well. "Well, I said I would do it first, so it counts more!"

 _ **Break**_

After the meeting broke up, Dipper slipped quietly into his room, and the others agreed not to disturb him.

Within moments, his eyes closed.

He slept.

 _ **Break**_

He stared at his phone, a frown creasing his face. His phone had two simple messages on it when he woke up, and he had a sinking feeling that he couldn't avoid the consequences, no matter _what_ he did.

From Pacifica: _Hey, dork! It's good to know that you finally got a good nights sleep! When you wake up, we should go out on an adventure, like the good old times, alright? What's a Pines Twins Summer without getting a bit lost in the woods, right?_

And, from Wendy: _Dude, it's awesome that Multibear's magic whatever worked. We should have our movie night tonight, yeah? It's been way too long, man!_

Dipper Pines was not a stupid boy. Far from it; he understood many things. More importantly, he knew that there were many things that he did _not_ understand. One of which, obviously, was girls.

What was plainly obvious, though, was that he was fucked.

Super mega _turbo_ fucked.

He had kissed both of these girls. Both girls have _seen_ him kissing the other. And Paz had even-

He twitched violently, shaking his head at the (jarring, scarring, pleasant) memory of his blonde haired friends lips and teeth and _hand_.

Regardless, he liked both of them. A _lot._ And both of them (for some reason) liked him.

 _A lot_.

Maybe too much, but he wasn't really in a position to complain about female affection, considering his track record. Specifically, his lack of one.

The _point_ , though, was that he was trying to navigate a mine field. If he screwed up, he was going to end up with, at the _least_ , a broken heart caused by him. If it went really, _really badly_ , one of them might kill the other one.

Or him.

Or _both_.

He groaned, his head falling into his hands in exasperation. "What the fuck am I supposed to _do_?!"

"Suffer, obviously," said Mabel, hip checking his door as she came in with a tray of food.

Scratch that, this was a tray of cookies and syrup laden pancakes.

"Hey, sis," he spoke glumly, rubbing the last bit of overdue sleep from his eyes.

"Brought you dinfest, bro-bro! It's dinner, it's breakfast, it's two in the morning!"

"Oh, Christ, you're right," he said after glancing at his alarm clock. He paused for a second before turning to her. "How did you know to come with food?"

"I didn't!" She answered cheerily. "I just finished making it. I was gonna wake you up, since, ya know, you just slept for twelve hours, but this works better! Now, tell Mama Mabel what the problem is, Dippin' Dots!"

He showed her his phone, the two messages still in his recent events. She frowned thoughtfully at it, nibbling on a cookie. For his part, Dipper gingerly took a bite out of the pancakes, almost wincing at his sisters overuse of sugary confections for breakfast foods. "Bitches be crazy," she concluded solemnly.

He rolled his eyes. "Case in point, yeah. But what should I _do_? Like, I don't want to hurt either of them, but I can't _not_ do anything. It's maddening!"

"Well, bro, I gotta say, this is a new one for me, even Matchmaker Extraordinare Mabel! But, I think that you need to start fresh, bro! Everybody got a little crazy last week, you and Wendy and Pazzy. So just, like, start a clean slate and junk! But make sure to tell them what you're doing. Communication is key, nerd-bro."

Dipper gulped down another sugar laden bite of pancake, pausing to drink a long sip of milk from his glass. "Hell, why not? It's a better plan than anything I've got to go on."

 _ **Break**_

Pacifica looked down at her phone, a knot of apprehension twisting in her gut despite herself. This was what she wanted, right? On her screen, she looked over Dippers text once more.

 _I'm feeling awesome, Paz, thanks. And you're right; we need a good old Dip and Paz adventure. Meet me at the Shack at nine, alright?_

That wasn't the problem; that was _exactly_ what she wanted. Even more than she wanted to be with Dipper in a romantic or sexual sense, she missed her best friend; their adventures, the easy laughter and conversations they shared. No, the problem was the text that she had received on the way there. From Mabel Pines.

 _Ohhhhh Pazzy Pazzy Paz Paz Paz! Friend of mine, ol' buddy ol pal! We need to talk before I let you run around with BroBro, okay? Okay!_ The message was followed by an incomprehensible array of emoticons, smiley faces, and what she assumed was the phone texts best approximation of a spilt bag if glitter.

Despite the silly tone of the message, Pacifica knew that Mabel could be the most vicious person on the planet when it came to protecting her brother.

And, if she were being honest with herself, Dipper may just need that protection from her and Wendy. The two of them hadn't been...

Well, _nice._ Or decent. Or even sporting.

And poor Dipper was caught in the middle, and he most certainly _didn't_ deserve that.

"Pazzy!" Mabel jogged slowly towards her, an easy smile on her face, a big, fluffy sweater covering her top half from hands to butt. On her chest, a shark was apparently flying through the air, a top hat upon its head, a monocle perched on one eye, and five separate sparklers sticking out of its mouth from between it's teeth. Pacifica smiled slowly at her, the nervous butterflies slowly dissipating.

She could take this. She would win. And she would make Mabel see her point of view.

"Hey, Mabes. How's Dip?"

Mabel grinned like a sunbeam, and that alone made Pacifica feel a thousand times better. "Great! Like, _super fantabulous!_ He slept for, like, eighteen hours or whatever, so he's pretty much all caught up after this stupid shitty week. You two are going on an adventure, right?" The happy twin threw a companionable arm across the blondes shoulders.

"Yeah. No idea where, but I generally leave the mysterious wilderness planning to Dipper, anyway. You coming with?"

"Nah, I got stuff to do today. Talk to Wendy, hang with Candy, bedazzle Waddles. I'm _booked_ , babe. But we need a quick word, okay?"

Pacifica nodded. Of course, she knew that Mabel wouldn't be coming- the girl very rarely tagged along when Dipper and her had their explorations, preferring to, as she had put it to her once, _"let the magic happen on its own"_. "Sure. What about?"

They were getting closer and closer to the Shack with every step, and she saw Dippers silhouette through his window, getting ready for the day ahead. Mabel took a deep breath. "Okay. So, I may haaaaaave... Told Dipper to start again with you and Wendy. Clean slate, you know?"

Well, that wasn't as bad as she had thought. "I like that. Do it right this time around, and not be like... animals," she finished quietly. They arrived, leaning against the walls of the rickety looking establishment. "That's a really good idea, actually, Mabes. Thank you."

"Anytime, Paz! I know that you and WenWen didn't want to hurt Dipper or each other," she said.

 _Well, not Dipper, no. But, Wendy? Oh yes I did!_ Smiling, she said, "Of course not! Things just got... Crazy, or whatever." She shrugged, arms flopping into the air haphazardly. She adjusted her bangs, and slung the backpack over shoulder into a more comfortable position.

"Ahuh! So, here's my patented older sister statement to the girls trying to get with my little bro: Don't hurt him, or I'll make you the new Gnome Queen."

Pacifica snorted, and then shuddered lightly. At this point in time, they had learned just how... _**Ugh**_... Jeff and his Gnome squad could be when it came to women. "Point taken, thanks. Ick. Mind telling me what's off limits?"

"Well, don't ride him like a pony in front of your love rival as some sort of strange revenge scheme, and I think you'll be okay." Mabel shot her a thumbs up, still grinning.

Pacifica nodded thoughtfully. "I can do that. Can I ride him in private?"

"That's up to hiii~iim," the brunette singsonged at her. "Alright, I gotta go catch Wendy and give her the same spiel, alright?"

"Alright, Mabel. Thanks. I won't go too... Crazy, I guess, on him."

"Good girl! Have fun! Don't give me any nephews yet! Buh-Byeeeee!"

Pacifica watched fondly as her (other) best friend skipped merrily down the road.

 _This is it._

She took a deep, steadying breath.

 _This is us._

She stepped inside.


	15. A Silence, Before Cacaphony

"Dipper?"

They teen turned around, a smile playing across his lips. "Yeah, Paz?"

She took a deep, steadying breath. Where the Hell would she even start? Dipper Pines had helped make her the young woman she was today- four years after they had met, she had grown up from a spoiled, snobby twelve year old heiress that marched to the tune of a bell her father rung at her, into an adventurous girl of sixteen, doing her best to be kind and caring despite what her parents wanted of her.

And this oblivious boy was the reason. Him and his goofball sister Mabel, who she loved like she was her own sister. It was Dipper who broke her of her upper crust condescension, and, more importantly, kept fighting for years and years to make sure that she didn't slide back into being some cold shell of a girl.

Also, he showed her the wonderful world of woodland adventures- the two had ventured dozens upon dozens of times into the surrounding woods and magic filled vales around Gravity Falls. Which brings her to the present, her crush staring at her with bright, searching eyes, a light sheen of sweat upon his brow in the August heat. "Paz?" He repeated easily, turning to face her fully.

"Yeah," she started, worrying her lip between her teeth. "I, uh... Hmm..." She sighed, slumping a little from her usual poised posture. "Dipper, I think that I..."

"Yeah?" He came closer, unconsciously bringing his hands to her shoulders, eyes boring into hers. She found herself unable to look away, the raw intensity that he gazed into her with intoxicating and so uniquely _Dipper_ that she found herself short of breath.

Around them, the forest stilled, the birds quieting in the trees, the gentle sound of water lapping at the river shore fading into the background as the pounding in her ears became a raucous thunder.

He was everywhere, his scent, his eyes, the way he held himself and the way he touched her, gentle and caring.

Pacifica realized, belatedly, that she very well might be in love with her best friend. "Paz?"

"Dipper, I..." Words failing her, she drew him closer, closer, his breath playing upon her lips, their eyes locked together for some strange eternity, his arms drawing close around her as she grabbed at him by the waist.

She was going to kiss him, here, in the woods, with the sun shining and the river flowing and it was perfect.

And then a Manotaur, pleated back hair and cracked horns as loud as his crashing hooves and bellowing voice, thundered into the clearing, bringing with him a stink of jerky and testosterone. "DESTRUCTOR! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALL YOU WERE TAUGHT!?"

They sprang apart, and Pacifica's eyes were alight with rage at the stupid manbeast. "You... You stupid...!"

Dipper grabbed her, pulling her, stumbling, into a run, his words coming out harsh and deep-

"Paz!"

"Paz!"

 _"Paz!"_

She shook herself out of her daydream, laughing lightly to herself. Dipper was wryly grinning at her, shaking his head. "You awake now, Princess?"

She flipped him off, but giggled a little nonetheless. "Sure, Pines. So, wanna stop for lunch?"

It was twenty minutes past noon, and they hadn't seen anything particularly exciting in the three hours that the two had been wandering around the Gravity Falls forest. It was like the woods were emptied of life- both animal and supernatural.

That was just fine for Pacifica Northwest, because it allowed her to roll over everything that she wanted to say to her hopefully-maybe-soon-please-boyfriend. And it was a lot.

Now, if only she could actually figure out what the hell she even wanted to say to him.

She wasn't going to kid herself- she was in a slightly untenable situation, trying to get her skittish (around girls) best friend to open up to the idea of her and him being...

Well, intimate. The past week was more of a fluke, brought upon by a malevolent god-creature and sleepless exhaustion, and she knew that she wouldn't have it so easy again.

Dipper smiled at her. "Yeah, why not? You set up the blanket, I'll break out some snacks. It isn't like we've found anything interesting yet, really."

She nodded, placing her bag at her feet as she knelt down to retrieve their picnic blanket from the top portion of her hiking backpack. Soon enough, the checkered fabric was splayed out upon the gentle grass, both teens laid upon it and relaxing, idly snacking on a mixture of fruit and trail mix as they chatted about nothing.

God, but it felt good to have him back like this.

"So, sorry that nothing big and exciting has tried to do us bodily harm yet," he joked. "The forest is pretty dead right now, for whatever reason. We haven't seen anything beyond Schmebulok trying to savage that chipmunk."

"Eh, it's okay. I think we could do with a relaxing hike, instead of running from some dragon or whatever. After your shit week, especially."

"True," he conceded. "Figure we hike around another few hours, and then head back? I promised Wendy that I'd see her later," he admitted, and she did her best not to grimace at her rivals name.

She mostly succeeded, and Dipper had the good grace not to point out the furrowing of her brows.

"Yeah, sure. Say, doesn't this place look familiar?"

Dipper looked around, a look of confusion crossing is face before realization struck him. "Hey, yeah! This is the clearing where Chutzpar almost trampled us to death a couple of years ago!" He laughed heartily, the fact that they had both almost died underneath the cloven hooves of a raging testosterone monster a source of hilarity to him.

Pacifica was now completely certain that she was in love with Mason Pines, and she laughed with him, their laughter echoing through the trees- his, hardy and loud, and hers clear as a bell.

They each laid back on the blanket, arms crossed behind their heads like pillows, the distance between them scant and tantalizing. Pacifica hummed thoughtfully.

"You know, Dip, I wanted to _skin_ that fucking man thing when he interrupted us. Like, I would have fought him with my fists or whatever."

"You probably woulda won, Paz. You are small, yet mighty," he joked.

"Hey! I'm taller than your sister!"

"That isn't helping your cause," he rejoined, and she laughed.

"But, seriously, I was so fucking pissed off that he interrupted us."

"And what did he interrupt, exactly, Paz?"

She turned her head towards him, and his eyes met hers right then, steady and wondering. "Something like this," she breathed gently. One hand reached out and cupped his cheek, and she leaned in towards him, just enough to place her lips to his. It was gentle and slow and beautiful, and her eyes fluttered. It was like a dream, the kind she would have as a small girl- handsome prince, a gentle kiss, and her swept off of her feet like a princess.

But this wasn't a dream, she wasn't anyone's princess, and Dipper Pines was as far from being a prince as the moon is to the Earth. She liked this reality better, because she brought her lips back to him, aggressively, the hand cupping his cheek moving to grip his hair as his hands brought her in close, close, close, roaming up her back and down her side and in her hair and gripping her ass and there were his lips, and there were his teeth and there was his tongue-

She moaned into him, the two of them kissing heatedly among the trees in the early sunshine, and Pacifica Northwest had never felt more accepted in her entire life than when she was ensconced in his arms. She pulled back slightly, going back in for a second to nip at his pouting bottom lip, kiss swollen and delectable.

"Like that," she reiterated airily, laughing just a little at the hazed look of his eyes. He blinked once, twice, and then shook his head.

He grinned roguishly at her, and stroked her cheek lovingly. "You know, I kinda wanna skin that Manotaur now, too. We could have been doing that for _years_ ," he laughed, and she smiled at his quip, even though the admitted knowledge brought a pang to her heart.

 _If I had just admitted this earlier, if I had just regrouped and kissed him back then, he could have been mine. He could have been my boyfriend, and all of this could have been avoided._

Dipper frowned, brow furrowing as he saw her troubled look. "Hey, hey. What are we... well, I mean...Who cares about could have beens, Paz?" He grabbed her hand gently, bringing it to him and kissing the tips of her fingers. His hands were cool and slightly sweaty, and she felt an overwhelming sense of relief that it was still Dipper here with her- sweaty hands and awkward speech and deep brown eyes.

She laughed, clear and happy, and she brought her other hand to clasp his in return, and she smiled. "You're right. I could sit here and be sad about two years ago for not kissing you, or I could just kiss you now and be happy here."

He grinned lopsidedly. "And which are you gonna do?"

She giggled a little, and then moved forward and kissed him again.

 _ **Break**_

Wendy opened the door to her house at the insistent knock, knock that heralded the arrival of her favorite dork twin, Dipper Pines. She smiled brightly as she swung it open, adjusting her pants with one hand. "Hey, dude!" She beckoned him inside, one arm flying around him as she shrugged the door shut, the other quickly following as she completed the embrace.

For his part, Dipper held her tightly, chin resting on the top of her head. She breathed in his scent for a moment, head going dizzy at the woodsy smell mixed with... Lilacs?!

She moved back abruptly, confused, before marshaling her emotions and beaming at him once more. "Ready, man?"

She's been on him.

"You know it, Wen! What's on the rack for tonight?"

"It Came From the Nether, parts one and two. I hear that in some of the fight scenes, you can see the strings holding up the alien ships!"

"Oh, man, that sounds _awful_. I can't wait!"

A few hours and more than a few beers in, they were lazed out on the couch, her legs lazily thrown over his lap, his arm resting just below her knees. They alternated between staring at the increasingly fuzzy TV, cracking jokes about the lax production values, and snacking on pretzels and popcorn as they drank their beers.

Dipper, once again, proves that he can't hold his liquor worth a damn, as he wobbled up to use the bathroom. Wendy laughed heartily as the teen proceeded to trip over the end table, spilling himself into the soft carpet in a heap. For his part, Dipper laughed uproariously at his own misfortune, struggling to rise as he tried- and failed- to get his feet back beneath him.

"I think I'm drunk, Wen," he slurred at her.

She grinned, finishing her beer. "Yup!" She belched, saying a quiet "oops" in surprise, before moving to help him up. "Go piss, the good part is coming up!"

"Thanks! You're a great... A great Wendy, Wen. The very best." He stumbled his way to the door, not bothering to close it as he fumbled with his zipper. Wendy cackled at his misfortune, falling back upon the couch, legs hung over the side and head laying in the crook where the armrest and cushion met.

"Need a hand there, boyo?"

"Nah, s'fine. I gorrit, Red."

"Real clever nickname for me, dumbass," she teased. "So, what did you and Paz get up to in the woods today?"

"Mabel told ya, huh?"

"Yup," the ginger conceded, remembering the odd way that the bright girl had at once threatened and encouraged her. "So?"

"We, like, walked around and stuff. Also she kissed me and it was pretty amazing and junk. I think we're dating now," he stumbled through the sentence. There was the sound of his zipper coming back up, and he washed his hands with all the grace of a beached wall.

Wendy grimaced, a ball of ice forming in the pit of her stomach. "Like Hell she is," she muttered. She cracked another beer. "Fucking _awesome_ , dude," she said with false cheer- which Dipper, sloshed as he was, couldn't pick out. "Do anything fun with her in the woods?"

Dipper staggered towards the couch, a happy smile on his face. "We made out unner th'trees and we talke'bout- WHOA!" With a cry, he tripped over the end table once more, managing to fling himself over the armrest and onto the redhead he left on the couch. "Sorry," he muttered into her hair.

"Nice going, you doof," she giggled at him. She wrapped her legs around his, stopping his momentum as he started to slide off the couch. She grinned wickedly into his mess of hair. "She a good kisser?"

He mumbled an affirmative to her, relaxing into the contours of her body. She grabbed him by the hair, dragging him up until he was face to face with her. He grumbled out a disturbed "Heeeeeeyyyy..." towards her, eyes struggling to focus on hers.

 _I'll win._

She kissed him.


	16. The swell of pressure ere thunder

Dipper groaned lightly as his head struggled to clear itself of the hangover he still was suffering from thanks to last night's drinking- Wendy had dumped him at the Shack sometime after three or so in the morning, his drunken, stumbling form too much of a lost cause to make it there on his own.

Also, he might have thrown up on a gnome. His memory was a bit fuzzy.

"Man, I need a stronger liver if I'm gonna try to keep up with Wendy. Blech," he finished, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands while struggling to bring saliva into his desert dry mouth. Struggling upwards, he made his way shakily over towards the small bathroom, doffing his cap so he could run his head under the cool water from the faucet, rearing back to cup his hands and drink deeply. Swishing some in his mouth, he spat heavily to clear the taste of beer that still floated around his mouth.

"Much better. Shit, what did I even _do_ last night?"

He struggled to remember, his memories a haze of laughter and drinks and-

" _She a good kisser?"_

He shook his head violently, trying to either clear it or bring the memories into better focus- he wasn't sure which.

" _I like kissing you, Dip. I like it a_ lot."

He gripped the sink tightly, a rushing vertigo filling him up from the base of his stomach up to his throat, pounding in his ears-

" _Do you like kissing me? Do you like it more than kissing_ _ **her**_ _?"_

He flipped up the toilet seat, taking a knee on the stained tiles, one hand still grasping the sink, the other clutching at his stomach as-

" _Harder, Dipper! God, you're so-"_

He vomited into the toilet, retching up what was left of last night's booze and snacks in an unsavory panapoly that stained the unsuspecting toilet like a crime scene.

"Oh _fuck_ what did I do last night?"

He cleaned up his (thankfully contained) mess quickly, washing out his mouth as best he could while he blinked away the acrid tears that crept from his eyes after voiding his stomach acids through his mouth. He was also starving, now that his head was clear enough to realize the signals it was reviewing from his misabused stomach. "No matter what happens, pancakes are called for," he mused to himself, not bothering to change his clothes just yet- food first, THEN shower and changing.

A few minutes later, the succulent smells of batter and the _hiss-sizzle_ of the pan brought Mabel downstairs, following her nose. Unsurprisingly, Waddles waddled in after her,snuffling along the ground and knocking over a chair with his bulk.

"You know, Waddles is getting a bit big to be sleeping upstairs with you," he chided gently, absentmindedly tossing a pancake at the pig, who caught it midair with a happy squeal.

"Waddles? Naaaahhhh, he's fine! Hes-"

She was interrupted by the sound of one of the kitchen chairs snapping in half as several hundred porcine pounds tried to scrabble onto it in order to poach food off of the table. Shaking his head in confusion, the pig oinked in an insulted fashion at the flimsy construct that he had just broken before wandering off in a huff.

"Well, maybe I should teach him about load bearing weights," she mused quietly. Turning back to Dipper, she beamed excitedly at the sweet confections. "What's the occasion, BroBro? You don't usually cook breakfast for lunch."

"I just got up," he admitted sheepishly. "So it's more like I'm catching up with the day still."

"Ah," she said, moving to his side to grab one of the plates already stacked high with the flapjacks. Upon entering his personal space, she rankled her nose at him, sniffing with a disgusted look on her face. "Ugh! You smell like a sewer, bro! What the Hell did Wendy put you through, toilet wrestling?" She waved her hand in front of her face to alleviate his stench as she backed away, sitting at the table and grabbing the syrup bottle.

"Okay, first off, you literally just slept with a _pig,_ so no sass from you, Mabel Pines. And, second…"

" _That's it, Dipper, ohhhhhh, yes, you-"_

"And, second, I don't actually remember what happened at Wendy's last night _._ I think I threw up in a bush on the way back, though," he conceded.

"You're such a _lightweight,_ " she snickered at him, absentmindedly scratching Waddles behind the ears as he gazed longingly at her syrup and sugar soaked plate.

Dipper sat opposite her, more because the pig had either knocked over or broken the other two chairs than any trying to spare her his particular morning musk. "Hey, I got it's not _my_ fault that you take after Stan with an iron liver. Besides, that just makes me a cheaper date!" He finished his boast with a bite of (lightly) syruped pancake, rolling his eyes when she stuck her tongue out at him through her own mouthful.

"Just means that my girl nights are more fun! Besides; when I start barhopping when I hit twenty one, that just means that I can have even more drinks bought for me by cute boys!"

Sighing, Dipper grinned despite of himself. After all this time, Mabel was still the same sparkly boy crazed loon she always had been. He was thankful for that, too; he loved his sister just as she was. "Make sure to take Wendy as a bodyguard when you do; surely _she_ won't be so starry eyed around every cute boy like _you_ are."

Mabel grinned slyly, her teeth showing thinly past her glazed lips. "Yeah, she's only crazy for _one_ boy, Dippin' Dots." She giggled before finishing the last of her stack, taking the plate and holding it for Waddles to clean off excitedly.

Dipper grimaced. "Wellll… I'm kinda… dating Paz now, Mabes, so…"

"I _**KNEW IT**_!" She cackled evilly into the sleepy morning air. "I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT!"

"And I knew that I shouldn't have let you have half a pound of processed sugar so early, but, here we are," he quipped idly into the air as Mabel proceeded to dance gaily with Waddles around the kitchen, kicking aside chair pieces.

"Knew what, Dudes?" Soos asked as he ambled into the kitchen, his Mister Mystery Fez planted firmly on his head. "What happened to my chair?"

"Dipper and Paz are in _looooooovveee!_ " Said Mabel;, at the same time, Dipper answered with "Waddles broke it."

"Ah, hey, congrats! And try not to break anymore, dudes. Chairs don't grow on trees, you know. Or… hmm, I guess maybe the wooden ones do, kinda. Hey, pancakes!"

"Fresh and hot, just the way you like 'em, bro. Okay; Mabel, you clean since I cooked. I'm gonna take a shower."

Mabel made an affirmative hand sign as she continued to gyrate with her pig pal across the floor, Soos taking her vacated seat and clapping along to her imagined rythym. Dipper grinned.

He loved his crazy Gravity Falls family.

 _ **BREAK**_

Freshly showered and smelling slightly of lemons, Dipper came out of the shower and found his phone on his nightstand with thirteen missed calls and seven new messages. His heart went from his throat down to about the area of his left testicle on the span of four and a half seconds; the change was so sudden and unexpected that he almost fell down.

 _Deep breaths, Dipper._

Eight missed calls from Pacifica, four from Wendy, and one from Mabel.

Five messages from Paz, and two from Wendy.

He's honestly scared to look at them. The pit in his stomach drops further and further, his mouth drying out as he realises that, somehow, he has _fucked up._

Royally.

Numbly, he calls his girlfriend of less than a full twenty four hours, and she picks up at the second ring. "Paz?"

"DIPPER! What's… sorry." She takes a deep, steadying breath, and he can hear her fingers tapping in a nervous staccato pattern somewhere beneath her. "Hey. Sorry. I… ummm… How are you?" She asks the question almost like she isn't sure if it's alright for her to ask it, her normally strong and potent voice holding a hint of a nervous waver to it, which he knew that Paz would normally _never_ allow.

"I'm okay. Slept til noon because I can't hold my beer, but… Paz, what's wrong? You don't sound alright."

Her fingers quickened their pace, a dangerous and scared thrumming in the background. "I… umm… my… my parents are… my parents are back home. They came back early, because the deal fell through, and…"

 _Uh-oh._ That wasn't good. Preston Northwest was one of the most insufferable people Dipper knew, and his wife wasn't that far off, either. And, more importantly, they _hated_ Dipper. Despised him. Considered him to be the guiding factor of their fall from grace into their life of (comparable) poverty. "What happened, Paz?" He gulped, his tongue feeling three sizes too large behind his teeth.

"We're moving, Dip. In a month, we're leaving Gravity Falls."

"To… to where?"

"London. Dad made a different deal with an oil mogul. They get their precious lifestyle back."

"And what about you?"

"They're my parents, Dip. They own everything I have. Dad already said that… that if I don't come with them, I get nothing at all to help living here. Damnit, Dipper, I can't… I don't know what to do…" he could hear the razor thin composure keeping her together buckle, her voice heavy with forced back sobs she refused to sound. "I don't want to leave," she finished in a small, broken voice.

He grimaced. Sneering, he took deep breaths, lest he start cursing the girls callous father over the phone. "Then you won't. You've got family here, Paz; me and Mabel and Soos and Wendy and everyone else who went through what we did; we're here for you, no matter what! So, no, you're _not_ moving, alright? We'll beat this. We'll figure this out, and I don't care if I have to march down to your house and speak to your damn father, because I'm not letting you go!"

She was silent for a moment, stunned. Dipper was _never_ this… forceful, this strong willed and sure in the face of adversity- he was brave and he was clever, but he rarely faced problems head on so quickly. "I love you," she breathed out in wonder.

"Paz?" Did she just…?

"Yeah, Dip. Yeah. Together. I'm gonna go and try to talk to him, okay? I kinda have to stay home for now, but… do you want to see me tonight? Like, after midnight? I can sneak out."

"Yeah, I'd like that. Good luck, Pacifica."

"Thanks, Dipper."

She hung up, and the phone slipped from his nerveless grasp onto his bed, bouncing sadly onto its face. He groaned, one hand going to his forehead.

"Fuck," he stated eloquently.

Upon his chest, the rune carved there briefly glowed with an eldritch light, there and gone too fast for its uncaring host to see.

 _ **BREAK**_

Wendy strode purposefully towards the Shack as darkness settled in around her.

She had been roped in by Mabel into helping her prepare a sort of "Feel Better" party for Pacifica tomorrow night, the planning and preparing and the _crafting_ taking an ungodly amount of time- Mabel was in overdrive mode, the news that Pacifica might only have a month left with them in their own crazy little town, and Candy and Grenda only served to act as a rather loud echo-chamber for the excitable girl.

It wasn't that Wendy didn't feel for the girl- she did, and it _sucked_ to be uprooted from your life and your new boyfriend, but Wendy had a _mission_.

It was a critical time for her right now- stay or leave, this was the turning point in the fight for Dipper, the linchpin upon which she would make or break their relationship. Having someone fight tooth and nail for you was a powerful force- one that Wendy couldn't compete with. So she had to be sly, she had to come at it sideways.

If necessary, she had to sabatoge Pacifica's plans to stay. Not that she wanted to, particularly.

But for Dipper, she would.

 _She can't compete from across the world,_ the persuasive voice that tickled the edges of her mind said with alarming alacrity.

She shook her head, grimacing at the pins and needles feeling that oozed over her mind when the thoughts from deep inside of her surfaced.

"To the bitter end," she muttered to herself. She already had one _gigantic_ victory over the blonde girl- the marks carefully hidden on her neck proved it.

 _I'm scum,_ she thought bitterly to herself, but it was much, _much_ too late to stop. Her course was set, and Dipper _would_ be hers.

She wasn't sure what she would do if it turned out otherwise. She'd put too much into this fight to lose now.

 _ **BREAK**_

Multibear roared at his challenger, swiping angrily at the snarling wolf that blocked his path. It retreated out of the way, snapping at his paw as it went.

He was bleeding from six different wounds, and one eye on his hind head was lacerated beyond repair of even _his_ healing powers. "You think you can stop _ME!?_ I AM **KING**!" The wolf pack circled him warily, seeking an opening in his guard, seeking to bring him down and _gut him_ upon the forest floor. Two of their number were lying, unmoving, a few feet away. They were possessed.

Magog was growing stronger, even from within his flesh bound prison. And, after what he'd found upon the spirit paths-

He had to warn Dipper. He had to warn everyone.

With a roar that shook the trees to their roots, he flung himself forward, teeth bloody and claws extended, seeking purchase in the corrupted flesh of his former friends and subjects.

He had no more time. If he couldn't get to them soon, the earth itself would rise up against them. They had been taken for fools.

Dipper wasn't Magog's target for possession and ascension, no. Dipper was just the incubator. A cocoon for the raw power of a God to exhume itself and wreak havoc upon the earth.

It was someone else. Dipper was only the means to an end.

And Magog would kill him when he forced his way out.


	17. And The VOICE, It Spake in Thunder

She gently wiggled her way out the window, dark clothes roughspun upon her skin, bright hair bundled beneath a hastily applied hood. She assumed that she looked like a mess now- her tear streaked makeup angrily scrubbed off after her angry crying had subsided, residual puffiness playing about her lashes like a map to her sadness. It didn't matter to her right now, though.

Pacifica landed gently upon the manicured grass of her lawn, crouching down to avoid any untoward looks towards her as she snuck about- she thought her parents were asleep by now, passed out on celebratory merlot, but she wasn't taking ANY chances now, not with so precious a prize hanging temptingly before her.

Dipper Pines stood proudly upon the asphalt of her over priced neighborhood, a smile playing about his lips as he awaited her grand escape out of a first story window. She ran towards him, crouched low to the ground, springing up to embrace him tightly. "Hey, you," he breathed into her, arms circling her waist like a life jacket in a storm.

"Hey," she chuckled back wetly, eyes threatening to pinprick more tears past her abused eyelashes at seeing him again. "We picked a Hell of a day to finally start dating, Dip."

"Yeah," he replied, eyes roaming around the stilted blackness of their rich surroundings. "Let's get out of here, Paz. We're all gonna gather in the Shack and talk about our options. We're not letting you go," he finished fiercely.

She smiled, and she was definitely crying now, but they were happier tears.  
She followed him into the darkness.

BREAK

The Shack was alive, it seemed, the late hour not hindering the borderline mania that gripped the chief force behind the excitement- Mabel Pines was bouncing from one work station to another, dealing in glitter, sprinkles, snacks, yarn, banners, glue and more glitter. She was doing her best to prepare a party in about forty minutes- a sort of per-party, for the incoming blonde girl that had just been suckerpunched with reality, which would be followed by the ACTUAL party tomorrow night. It was a double party! Party-ception!

It was also a double party (quadruple parties? Parties Double Squared!?) because they were going to be celebrating the young love now blooming between her brother and best friend, and, also, because things had largely sucked this week.

Like, turbo-bad. She almost shuddered to think about how bad it was, so, in true Mabel fashion, she simply didn't.  
If other people solved problems like I do, the world would be so much happier. And sparklier.

She hummed lightly to herself as she worked, directing Candy and Grenda as she went along, their eyes and hands a welcome addition to her own manic and frenzied motions. Things were going so very... Something.

Dipper and Paz together- awesome. Totally stupendously fantasticular! Summer romance! Fireworks! Romantic woodland themed kissing!

Paz and Wendy trying to kill each other, not so great. The opposite of great. Just, like, no. Very bad. She hated it!

Dipper being sort of possessed by... A ghost? A demon? She didn't exactly know what it was, but it was very extra not cool. Even if he DID get a kind of cool scar out of it- Paz likes scars, right?-, it was certainly a downer, no matter that Multibear was on the case for them.

Waddles coming back and celebrating Pig Day? A-mazing! No contest.

So, yeah, this week sucked. Even if there was lots of good parts to it, the bad was kind of huge. So, Mabel prepared to party. Smiling brightly, she paused just long enough to pet waddles behind his piggy ears, his happy snuffling causing her smile to brighten even further, the wattage upping to cheek aching levels of happy adorableness.

"Alright, girls! Let's throw this into high gear!"

BREAK

Wendy readjusted her collar as she slipped in through the back door of the Shack, dodging to the side as Waddles bulled through to escape outside. The very last thing she needed Mabel to see right now were the highly conspicuous marks on her neck, the angry, delightful bruising there all the evidence she needed for her plan to come to fruition. She had good timing, too; she heard a slight commotion as Pacifica and Dipper came through the front door, and almost winced when Mabel screamed at the blonde girls arrival.

"PAAAAAAAAaaaaaaazzzzzzy!" There was a crash, and Wendy smirked as she walked through the kitchen (which looked like a fucking war zone at the moment), exiting to see Dipper standing awkwardly in the doorway as his sister held his girlfriend in the tightest embrace she could, the two having crashed to the floor in her exuberance. Candy and Grenda stood near them, and Soos was poking his head in from down the stairway.

"Well, shit, looks like the party just started," she drawled lightly. Dipper waved meekly at her, mouth finding some odd no mans land between smiling and frowning towards her.

He remembers this time, she thought to herself with a bit of viciousness. She grinned, teeth sharp and cruel in the artificial light. Of course he remembered, though; she had burned herself into him, bitten so deep and so long that she was in his bones. And he had done the same to her.

Her mouth watered a little at the thought. She reveled in it. It was animal magnetism. She wanted to feel that heat again. She wanted to burn up, held in his arms and his flesh against hers, until they both were but ash and memories. She winked at him, a private conversation between just them. An invitation.

Between them, Pacifica finally managed to push Mabel off of her, laughing despite herself at the brunette twins antics. "Haha, yeah! I get it! My parents are butts and you're gonna sock 'em with that patented Mabelness." She extricated herself off the floor, waving breathlessly at the other three occupants of the room, and another to Soos as he began to descend the stairs towards them.

Sparing a glance at Wendy, Pacifica took a rather possessive hold of Dippers hand, a sign of dominance directed at the ginger.  
Silly girl. I've already won. Her slow smile never leaving her face, barely sparing a look at the entwined fingers, she merely shrugged in indifference at the couple.  
With her hair flicking behind her, she turned and strutted back into the kitchen, knowing that they would follow.

BREAK

Three hours later, nothing had come of it. Beyond having Pacifica live in the Shack with them and work for Soos, they couldn't brainstorm any ideas that would allow her to stay in Gravity Falls with them. As it was, they couldn't support the girl without some excess cash flow to help them out, and the Shack wasn't exactly a gold mine of funds at the best of times.

It got worse, though. If she forced the issue and stayed, then she would be cut off from both her spending funds and, most importantly, her college tuition funds. Moreover, her father would surely assert what control he had left in the town to force her to acquiesce- the Northwests were still the most powerful family in their own small slice of Oregon, and they owned outright several of the businesses here.

Grenda and Candy had already left, rubbing tired eyes as they wandered back to their homes. Wendy had disappeared as well, but he sensed, somehow, that she was still around, somewhere.

Dipper groaned to himself, hands running through his soft hair in frustration. This just reminds me how much I hate the rest of the Northwests. "Ugh," he groaned out to the table, and it was echoed by his twin, his girlfriend and Soos in a chorus of resignment. "I can't think of anything we can even do about this! This sucks," he opined piteously.

"You got that right, BroBro," Mabel said, absently scratching behind Waddles ear as the pig meandered up to her, head resting in her lap comfortingly. "It's like an ever spiraling vortex of suck suck suckiness. But we will think of something! We have to," she said quietly, almost as if to remind herself. She managed a somewhat weakened smile at the blonde across from her, who couldn't muster up the energy to answer in kind.

"I feel like you might be right, Hambone," said Soos after a moment, rubbing his stubnled chin with a thoughtful expression, his other hand scratching through a hole in his raggedy night shirt. "We can deal with the para-abnormal mysteries of the Falls, but, alas, the workings of the upper class remain an opaque window through which we have only the slimmest hope of glimsping the other side." He blinked, and took a deep breath. "That sucks, dude," he finished.

"Yeah," said Pacifica sullenly, resting her chin in the crook of her elbow as her arm rested across the table. The other searched for Dippers, interlacing the fingers with a firm sort of desperation that she couldn't even begin to hope to emote through simple, sordid words. He smiled lightly in her direction, and he didnt speak, either.

They all stayed silent for a few moments, chewing upon their thoughts as the seconds ticked by, the oven clock rudely illuminating the fleeting hours in stark red numerals. It was 3:47 in the morning, and the darkness seemed to struggle to contain the imminent coming of morning, shadows clawing towards far corners to keep their hold upon the earth for a little more. Pacifica stood up, shaking her head, eyes betraying her exhaustion.  
I only just fucking got him! Her thoughts were heated and angry, forcing back the tiredness that ebbed into her core, soaked her bones and tangled her mind. She wanted nothing more than to scream and rage and break things, spit upon her fathers circumstance, her mothers passivity, their hypocritical personal beliefs and their abysmal attempts to secure their future through sacrificing her happiness. "I guess I should go back," she said instead, voice small and tired.

"We'll beat this, Paz," Dipper muttered into her hair as he drew her into a hug, capturing her lips with his own as they drew away. "We always come through for each other, right?" He grinned at her, eyes betraying his own uncertainty behind his smile.

"Yeah. Always."

BREAK

He stumbled over nothing as he came back, eyes strugglling to stay open despite himself. He had seen Pacifica back home, the two holding eachother tightly for what seemed like hours before she finally, regretfully, slipped back through her window, silent and foreboding.

He caught himself once again, pausing just long enough to breathe deeply of the morning air. Well, at least I can actually sleep, this time, he thought to himself wryly, and he chuckled so hard that he almost knocked himself over again.

"You look like shit, dude," said Wendy, grinning at him, leaned up against the wall next to the Shacks door. Her arms were crossed below her chest, one foot against the wood grain, the other supporting her. He hasn't even noticed her in the predawn shadows, but he was too tired right now to bother with being startled. She looked fresh and beautiful, and he ached at the sight of her. He wasn't sure if it was with need or trepidation or both, but it was overwhelming in the best worst way he had ever experienced. She was radiant, like an angel.

Or maybe a devil, seeing the way her lips curved ever more dangerously upwards, and he couldn't remember Wendys teeth ever seeming so sharp before. She pushed herself off the wall and towards him, a dangerous swing to her hips, legs coming down forcefully in the still night, seeming to echo loudly through the quiet night, warring with the coming rays of dawnlight for supremacy over the natural way of things. "Good thing you're so cute. I'll keep you," she teased, coming up to run a finger over his jaw, starting from his chin and running up, up, up, into his hair, towards the back of his head, fingers sharp and unrelenting as they dug into his scalp with a delicious, painful grip.

He gasped, and, like a signal, she pulled him forward, overbalancing him so that he fell into her embrace, breathing in the scent of her hair, and it was everything in him not to moan into her neck, to grab her and bite down, to mark and claim and devour her.

"Very good, Dip," she drew out the words like a prayer, tone low and hot and sultry in a way that went directly to his cock. "You remember now, don't you? You remember what we did together." Her free hand traced the rune on his chest by memory, and it burned as she did, but it only stoked the fire growing within him. Her fingers kept falling down, down, the nails digging into his flesh below his shirt, and then danced around the edge of his pants.

Struggling with himself, he shook his head; not to rebuff her, but to try to reclaim his scattered thoughts. "Yeah, yeah I do. What are you doing, Wendy?! I'm with Pacifica!" He tried to back up, but she kept her grip firm, and he felt all the strength in him vanish.

"Are you, Dipper? Does she kiss you like I do? Does she hold you like I do?" She drew him even closer, crushing him to her chest, their eyes locking with an intensity that could spark the suns in foreign skies. She whispered in a way that made him shiver, "does she fuck you like I do?"

Her hand slipped into his pants and grabbed him, hot and hard and aching with desperate need, and he gasped, helpless, defiled.

"B-b-but I'm... I'm with-"

"Pacifica?" She stroked him harder, darting in to bite his earlobe before reteating back, tongue laving along his cheek as she went, and she laughed darkly at his reaction as he closed his eyes and bit his lower lip. "That doesn't matter. What she wants doesn't matter, because she is gone, and there will only be you and me, because you are mine!" Her voice got progressively louder as she went, and Dipper was left looking in her eyes and saw something wicked and wonderful and powerful held captive there, starlight dancing from her irises as she held him tight enough for him to understand that what he wanted didn't matter now, either.

And then she kissed him, lips melding to his and tongue forcing entrance as she dominated him, as she won him.

And then, as the faintest hints of blood started to runnel from her eyes, Dipper Pines felt something old and powerful and unnatural burst forth from his chest, the rune scarred upon him catching fire, a coalescense of light surrounding them, seeming to pour from their skin and the earth and the very sky itself.

Dipper screamed until his throat bled.  



End file.
